Essence Magazine

Essence is the name of the magazine for which Villarosa wrote for many years. While at Essence, Villarosa was "a contributing nutrition and fitness writer," and later became "the publication's health editor" (3). Her readers were primarily "middle-class Black women" (72). Throughout her time at Essence, Villarosa used her platform to tout healthy living philosophies for Black women. Although she still stands by these ideas, she admits that they are largely incomplete when it comes to understanding racial inequality in American healthcare.

New Orleans

In Chapter 3, "Unequal Treatment," Villarosa documents the time she spent in New Orleans. She traveled here after meeting Latona Giwa at a birthing conference in New York. Throughout her time in New Orleans, Villarosa shadowed Giwa. It is here that she met Giwa's client and New Orleans resident, Simone Landrum. After this initial trip, Villarosa later returned to New Orleans in order to attend...