Journeying Beyond Pain: our truth as women of color

An eBook (one of two)

Having experienced chronic pain at some point in their lives, Drs. Jane Prophet and Rahbel Rahman (academics), were interested in hearing the lived experiences of women of color who experience chronic pain. Jane Prophet identifies as white and is interested in the role of the arts in health. Rahbel Rahman identifies as South Asian and is interested in looking at interventions to improve health disparities and health care delivery, specifically by shifting ownership of research to those affected by the issue.

During the summer of 2021, Prophet and Rahman met virtually with 20 women across two groups over 8 weeks. The goal was to explore the racialized and gendered experience and treatment of chronic pain using photovoice. Photovoice is a research approach that allows participants to use photographs to tell their stories. In this book, you will find a compilation of categorized photographs and narratives according to the ways participants analyzed their experiences with chronic pain and pain management.

As two academics, we are indebted to our participants for their time in sharing their powerful stories. This book is a testament to the dedication of these women who want to advocate and create awareness about chronic pain experienced by women of color and the need for employers and healthcare providers to be responsive to their needs. Allowing us to hear from your stories motivates us, academics, to work with those aff ected to develop interventions focused on sensitivity training for employers and health care providers. We would also like to thank the University of Michigan’s Michigan Institute for Clinical Health Research (MICHR), Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design, and The Institute for Research on Women and Gender for funding this project.