We’re bringing back another ground-breaking episode for our special Menopause Matters Season — this time with the inspiring Karen Arthur.
Karen is an educator, fashion designer, dancer, podcaster, broadcaster, author and artist. She’s the host of the Menopause Whilst Black podcast, which she created to amplify the voices of Black women going through menopause. Karen brings such honesty, creativity, and joy to this conversation. She reminds us that menopause isn’t one size fits all and that midlife can be a time to set boundaries, honour ourselves, and open up to what’s possible. And that representation matters.
Here’s what we cover:
- How the Black Lives Matter movement inspired Karen to create her podcast
- Why menopause isn’t one size fits all
- The importance of workplace support through menopause
- The different menopause experience of Black women
- How to actually make a difference around racial injustice
- Karen’s personal journey with depression
- Her realization she was going through menopause and how it changed her life
- Experiences with therapy and the importance of doing it when you’re ready
- Knowing when to seek help and when to say no
- Establishing boundaries with yourself and your body
- Honouring the ageing process and embracing midlife
- What menopause can truly give us
And so much more!
Since our original conversation, Karen has gone from strength to strength:
- 2021: Created artwork featured in the Sky Arts documentary Statues Redressed
- 2022: Produced artwork for the Migration Museum’s Taking Care of Business exhibition and relocated from London to East Sussex
- 2023: Launched the Can We Talk radio show on Golddust Radio, now nearing 50 episodes, and founded the Joy Retreat Barbados — the first menopause retreat designed exclusively for Black women (next one booking now for May 4–11, 2026)
- 2024: Published her children’s book Grandma’s Locs with Tate Publishing, exhibited work in the Playing the Race Card: Black Joy exhibition, and was voted readers’ favourite cover star of Menopause Matters magazine
- 2025: Featured in Good Housekeeping’s Menopause Handbook, celebrated Season 8 of Menopause Whilst Black, and saw Grandma’s Locs nominated for the Klaus Flugge Award for illustration
She has also represented women in the UK Parliament twice, spoken on inequalities in menopause and the workplace, contributed to working parties shaping a national menopause curriculum, and been featured widely across books, articles, radio, and TV — always championing positive midlife ageing and menopause equity.
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