Out In The Open

How one woman's road to pregnancy led her to confront stereotypes about black women and fertility

Reverend Stacey Edwards-Dunn grew up internalizing stereotypes that black women were supposed to be hyper-fertile. So when she began facing infertility, she struggled in silence within her family and faith community.

'For so long I had been told that black women did not struggle with infertility,' says Stacey Edwards-Dunn

When Stacey Edwards-Dunn began facing infertility, she struggled in silence within her family and faith community. (Submitted by Stacey Edwards-Dunn)

This story was originally published on January 3, 2020.

Stacey Edwards-Dunn and husband Earl Dunn Sr. with their daughter Shiloh.

Growing up, Reverend Stacey Edwards-Dunn had internalized stereotypes that black women were supposed to be hyper-fertile.

So after she underwent multiple rounds of fertility treatments and suffered a miscarriage, she struggled in silence within her family and faith community.

"For so long I had been told that black women did not struggle with infertility," she said.

"And now I'd become one of those examples that this is not true."

Edwards-Dunn speaks with Out in the Open host Piya Chattopadhyay about this added layer of stigma for women of colour, and how it affected her both personally and as a leader in her church.


This story appears in the Out in the Open episode "Inside Infertility".