S3E3: Infertile Black Girl with L'Oreal Thompson Payton

Author, journalist, and small business owner L’Oreal Thompson-Payton visits The Happily Never After to talk about her experience with infertility. L'Oreal pulls back the curtain on excruciating fibroid battles, heartbreaking IVF disappointments, and her battle with post-partum depression. She talks about writing her upcoming memoir, Infertile Black Girl, to be released in 2027.L'Oreal shares how systemic racism, health disparities, and cultural stigma compound the pain, leaving many feeling isolated and unseen. She also talks about the pressure on Black women and girls to be “twice as good,” and how embracing rest can change everything. ABOUT L'OREAL THOMPSON PAYTONL’Oreal Thompson Payton is an award-winning journalist, author, speaker, and founder of Zora’s Place, a Black feminist bookstore and community hub in Evanston, Illinois. She is the author of Stop Waiting for Perfect, Amanda Gorman: Poet and Activist, Violet Goes Voting (September 2026) and the highly-anticipated memoir Infertile Black Girl (Spring 2027). Her byline has appeared in outlets such as Essence, Fortune, New York magazine and SELF. Her work centers Black women and girls, mental health, and the power of storytelling. She lives in Evanston with her husband and daughter. Learn more at lorealthompsonpayton.comFollow L'Oreal at @ltinthecity on all social platformsABOUT THE HAPPILY NEVER AFTERThe Happily Never After is a podcast that features stories of big endings that led to personal breakthroughs. While endings can hurt, they also provide opportunities to heal and grow, and sometimes, they even set us free. Endings can offer an opportunity to begin anew, in a better way, and that’s what we’re here to talk about.New episodes every Tuesday.Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thatheathermcg⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG for related content and discussion.Read The Happily Never After on Substack at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thehappilyneverafter.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about Heather McG at ⁠⁠⁠www.heathermcg.com