<p><iframe src="https://player.blubrry.com/getnakedlive/latest/#mode-Light&#38;border=000000&#38;progress-000000" width="100%" height="165px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <h3 data-start="1022" data-end="1171"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 12pt;">Chronic pain in Black women is often dismissed, misunderstood, or minimized, even when the body has been signaling for years that something is wrong.</span></strong></h3> <p data-start="1173" data-end="1343"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">This episode is part of the <strong><em>26 Black Women Storytelling Series</em></strong>, where Black women share what being strong has cost them (including how chronic pain in Black women is often ignored or misunderstood), and the kind of support that could have made a difference. </span></p> <p data-start="1173" data-end="1343"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 12pt;">In this conversation, Fawn Walker Montgomery shares what it cost to keep pushing through pain and what happened when her body finally said no.</span></p> <p data-start="1369" data-end="1496"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">Fawn has spent most of her life showing up for others as a community organizer, advocate, and leader in the fight for justice.</span></p> <p data-start="1498" data-end="1552"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">But behind the work was a body that was breaking down.</span></p> <p data-start="1554" data-end="1829"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">From being dismissed in medical spaces, to living with undiagnosed endometriosis, to becoming what she describes as “indispensable and invisible at the same time”, this conversation explores the real impact of chronic pain in Black women and what it means to not be believed.</span></p> <p data-start="1831" data-end="2003"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">We talk about burnout, self-advocacy, and the moment she realized that the relationships around her were often tied to what she could give, not how she was being supported.</span></p> <p data-start="2005" data-end="2119"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">This episode is also a reminder that your body is always communicating even when you’ve been taught to ignore it.</span></p> <p data-start="2121" data-end="2179"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">And sometimes listening is the first step toward healing.</span></p> <p data-start="2240" data-end="2400"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">Fawn’s story also reflects a deep need for Emotional Safety – the kind of support that allows you to be believed, held, and heard without having to fight for it.</span></p> <p data-start="1012" data-end="1178"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">If you’ve ever felt like your body was trying to tell you something,  or like you’ve had to push through pain just to keep going, this conversation will stay with you.</span></p> <p data-start="1180" data-end="1351"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">And if you’ve ever felt like you needed support but couldn’t quite name what that looks like for you, you can take the Support Languages™ assessment at <a href="https://shadesofstrong.com/supportlanguages/">shadesofstrong.com/supportlanguages</a>.</span></p> <hr /> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">About Fawn Walker Montgomery</span></strong></span></p> <p data-start="242" data-end="433"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">Fawn Walker Montgomery is a community leader, organizer, and advocate who has spent years showing up for her people – fighting for justice, building, leading, and carrying a lot along the way.</span></p> <p data-start="435" data-end="728"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">She’s served as a councilwoman in McKeesport, made history as the first Black woman to run for a State seat in the Mon Valley without a major party endorsement, and continues her work through <a href="https://www.fawnwalker.net/">Fawn Walker Montgomery Consulting</a> and as the CEO and Co-Founder of <a href="https://www.takeactionadvocacygroup.org/">Take Action Advocacy Group</a> (TAAG).</span></p> <p data-start="730" data-end="820"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">But behind all of that work is a woman who has had to learn how to listen to her own body.</span></p> <p data-start="822" data-end="1012"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">After years of pushing through, Fawn now speaks openly about her experience with endometriosis… sharing what it looks like to care for yourself while still being committed to your community.</span></p> <p data-start="1014" data-end="1223"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">She is the author of <em data-start="1035" data-end="1123">Healing In The Fight: A Black Woman’s Journey With Endometriosis and Radical Self-Care –</em> a reflection of both the work she’s done in the world and the work she’s had to do within herself. <strong><em data-start="1035" data-end="1123">Healing In The Fight is </em>available wherever books are sold.</strong><br /> </span></p> <hr /> <p data-start="1014" data-end="1223"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Connect with Fawn Walker Montgomery:<br /> </strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/vfawn.walkermontgomery">Facebook</a> &#124; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fawn_montgomery/">Instagram</a> &#124; LinkedIn &#124; Substack</span><br /> </span></p> <hr /> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">Come back every weekday for a new Support Pause — short, soul-soothing reflections made just for you.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;"><strong data-start="2044" data-end="2071">About Shades of Strong®</strong></span><br data-start="2071" data-end="2074" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">Shades of Strong® is a space where Black women come to breathe, reflect, and reclaim strength without the struggle. Support Pauses are short, soulful reminders that you don’t have to carry it all alone. New episodes drop every weekday.</span></p> <hr /> <h3><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Resources to Support You:</strong></span></h3> <ul> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><a href="https://forms.gle/VsfFMjNjMt6eVLJp7"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino; color: #ff7300;">Black Women Storytelling Series</span></a></strong></span></li> <li><a href="https://shadesofstrong.com/support-sessions/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="color: #ff7300;">Schedule a 1:1 Support Session</span></strong></span></a></li> <li><span style="color: #ff7300;"><span style="color: #ff7300;"><strong><a style="color: #ff7300;" href="https://shadesofstrong.myflodesk.com/supportlanguageguide"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">Get the Guide: &#8220;You Know Your Support Language™—Now What?&#8221;</span></a></strong></span></span></li> <li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;"><span style="color: #ff7300;"><a style="color: #ff7300;" href="https://shadesofstrong.com/supportlanguages/" rel="noopener"><strong>Take the Support Language™ Quiz</strong>. </a></span><span style="color: #000000;">and learn how you <em data-start="834" data-end="844">actually</em> receive support best.</span></span></span></li> <li><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 12pt;"><a style="color: #ff7300;" href="https://shadesofstrong.myflodesk.com/theporch">Get Support Right in Your Inbox</a>: </span></strong><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 12pt;">Gentle words, real-life reflection, and soft reminders </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 12pt;">every week  </span></span></li> <li><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 12pt; color: #ff7300;"><a style="color: #ff7300;" href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sistahs-connect-radio/id6758016687">Download Sistah&#8217;s Connect Radio in the Apple Store</a></span></strong></li> <li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="color: #ff7300;"><a style="color: #ff7300;" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.live365.sistahsconnectradio&#38;hl=en_US">Download Sistah&#8217;s Connect Radion in Google Play</a></span></strong></span></li> </ul> <hr /> <p><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 12pt;">Let’s Stay Connected:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">Subscribe to <em data-start="1763" data-end="1781">Shades of Strong</em> on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;"> Share this episode with a sista who’s tired of being the strong one</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">Leave a review if the episode spoke to your spirit — it helps more Black women find this space</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">Submit your questions to [email protected]</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">Follow Shades of Strong on <strong><span style="color: #ff7300;"><a style="color: #ff7300;" href="https://www.instagram.com/shadesofstrong/">Instagram</a> </span></strong>for daily reflections on what it means to be suppoted</span></li> <li><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino; color: #ff7300;"><a style="color: #ff7300;" href="https://shadesofstrong.com/">www.shadesofstrong.com</a></span></strong></li> </ul> <div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a"> <div dir="auto"> <hr /> <p><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino;">Shirl  is the creator of Support Languages™ and host of Shades of Strong® — a movement shifting the narrative from Strong Black Woman to Supported Black Woman™ through language, rest, and real support.</span></em></p> <hr /> </div> </div>