Alanna Taylor

 Today, one-third of unmarried Black women over the age of 65 live in poverty according to the National Organization for Women.

If I had not changed the course of my life when I turned 50, I was headed in that direction.

Depressed. Struggling financially. No work. No clients. No health insurance. Suffering in silence. Isolating myself from family and friends. THAT was my bleak existence for several years.

After fainting and crashing on the floor at the grocery store, I signed up for Medicaid to receive urgent physical and mental health treatment. While recovering, a TedTalk showcasing a soft-spoken woman named Liz White brought me to tears.

As Ms. White, the author 55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal, shared her story during her TedTalk, I realized there was hope for me.

With perseverance—and a great therapist—I crafted a plan for the best half of my life. I scheduled all my overdue physical exams and screenings. My mindset about money and wealth-building changed for the better. Unhealthy relationships were ghosted, blocked, and terminated. My gifts and talents became the foundation of a lucrative and fulfilling career.

The tremendous setbacks that I faced, and continue to overcome, fueled my passion to help other Black women. As an OSI-Baltimore Community Fellow, I have created the Bronze Girl Collective, a safe space for Black women over 40 to reinvent their lives.

Yes, they say “Black don’t crack” but many Black women are breaking down—in quiet shame and isolation—financially, emotionally, and physically as the years go by. Still, we can mend, heal, reinvent, and thrive together.

No one is coming to save us, but we got each other.

Sisterly yours,

Alanna Taylor

Founder and Wellness Curator

Bronze Girl Collective