Season 1: Episode 1
Anna Arnold Hedgeman and Bertha Cooley fought for racial justice inside the YWCA decades before "DEI" existed—and paid a steep price.
In this opening episode of Return to Presence, we examine Black women's burnout, workplace racism, and the health crisis created by being "the only one" in the room. We explore how racialized workplaces fracture Black women's health, the weathering hypothesis, and how capitalism and martyrdom culture demand we sacrifice our bodies for the work.
I share my own experience of burnout as a Black woman PhD student running a nonprofit and consultancy—the embodied martyrdom, chronic stress, inflammation, and mystery medical problems that came from overgiving and overworking.
Through their stories and mine, we explore what gets passed down: the beliefs that keep us stuck, the weathering that shows up in our bodies, and the mindset shifts and somatic healing practices that create space for something different.
We close with a guided release practice—letting go of what no longer serves us and beginning the return to presence.
Featured Oral History Clip:
Dr. Anna Arnold Hedgman (with attention to the legacy of Bertha Cooley)
A civil rights strategist, educator, and the only woman on the March on Washington planning committee, Anna Arnold Hedgman navigated race politics, gender bias, and organizational pressure with a clarity that shaped generations of Black leadership.
Presence Practice
Release an old mindset that keeps you tethered to overwork. Establish one small ritual this week—breath, movement, affirmation, or boundary—that honors your body’s wisdom.
Journal Question: Who affirms your convictions, not just your credentials?
Two Ways to go Deeper:
1.) Join me on Patreon to continue the conversation, unpack these themes in community, and practice the tools shared in this episode. https://www.patreon.com/c/shawnamurraybrowne
2.) If you’re a woman of color leader, explore Cadence—my signature Liberatory Leadership Incubator for women leading in high-stakes environments: www.shawnamurraybrowne.com/cadence
This episode is also available as a video on YouTube.
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Archival credit: Oral history excerpts courtesy of the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University, Black Women’s Oral History Project.
