By Dawn Scotland
The Truth Reporter
The Toledo Lucas County Public Library hosted a conversation with Tara Pringle Jefferson, author of Bloom How You Must: A Black Woman’s Guide to Self-Care and Generational Healing on Thursday, May 7 at Kent Branch Library. The free event, presented by the Library’s Art Tatum Book Club, focused on Black women’s mental health, self-care and generational healing.
Jefferson, a certified breathwork facilitator and founder of The Self Care Suite, a digital wellness community for Black women led an engaging conversation centered on black women’s mental health. The discussion was facilitated by Keianna Wimberly, minority health coordinator for the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department.
Jefferson has presented wellness programming for organizations including WW, SiriusXM and Wayfair, and her work has been featured in The Cut, Black Enterprise and Essence.
Bloom How You Must draws on research, personal narratives and interviews with more than 100 Black women to examine approaches to self-care and community care. The book explores multiple dimensions of wellness, including physical, emotional, social and spiritual health, and offers practical tools and guided reflections.
Wimberly leads minority health initiatives for the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, focusing on health equity, community outreach and education. Her work includes developing partnerships and programs aimed at improving health outcomes in underserved communities.
Attendees were asked to reflect on their own mental health journey including the origins of their own self-care practices, the ability or inability to rest, and the importance of seeking professional help when needed among other topics.
The event provided a space for black women and their supporters to speak openly about a topic that can go overlooked in our community. The book as well as the conversation aimed to combat that narrative and provide black women with tools to navigate the currents of life.
Jefferson’s book Bloom How You Must is available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and other major book suppliers.
Founded in 1838, the Toledo Lucas County Public Library serves as the go-to community connector for makers, doers and dreamers across Northwest Ohio. With multiple locations plus Mobile Services in Lucas County, Ohio, the Toledo Library empowers individuals and enhances the quality of life in its community by fostering a love of reading, lifelong learning and social connections. Through its collections, innovative programs, partnerships and a commitment to inclusivity, the Toledo Library remains a vibrant cultural hub for the Toledo region.
For more information, please visit toledolibrary.org.