My Story Is Future History
Please note: This story contains a brief mention of sexual violence.
My history begins with my family’s history. My maternal grandparents raised their 13 children in North Minneapolis near West Broadway Avenue, then a thriving corridor of businesses, restaurants, and community gathering spaces. At that time, the community of North Minneapolis primarily consisted of several large families that had lived in the area for generations, including my family. Everyone knew the Strouds.
My family members didn’t occupy any political roles or serve as the head of any major organizations, but we were very active at the ground level across the community. Like many families, we were just trying to make ends meet, trying to raise our children without struggling. We supported other families and became part of the economic ecosystem and the social network of North Minneapolis.
Despite our prominence within our community, I learned from a young age that being mixed race means that my family and I won’t be fully accepted within some circles. I can’t count how many times I've been asked where I’m from or what I am, just because of my complexion.
My ancestors were brought to this country from West Africa. Many records were destroyed or not properly maintained, so I might not be able to tell you exactly which country my family originated from, but I know that my family has been mixed race since the 1800s. That doesn’t make me any less African American.
I grew up in the Black Baptist church, but by the time I was in ninth grade, my family was no longer affiliated with a church family. I missed the presence of faith in my life and began to feel an attraction toward God. I started talking to my different friends about their religious practices and visiting different churches with them. When my Muslim friends found out about this soul journey that I was going on, they said, “You can’t count us out!” Soon enough, I was attending Jummah prayers at Masjid Mujaddad on 38th and 4th Avenue and going to a sisters’ halaqa every week.
One day, I woke up with this feeling inside me—I suddenly felt like it was the right time. I hadn’t made any prior plans, but I decided to take my Shahada (Islamic oath of faith) that day. It’s been 20 years since then, 20 years since I became Muslim.
What made my conversion to Islam even more special is that after my grandmother passed away, I learned that she was also studying Islam. My mother gave me her Qur’an, and I discovered dozens of index cards with her notes throughout the book.
One of my friends was on a similar soul journey, and he also converted to Islam around this time. With both of us committed to our new faith, we also decided to commit to one another—we fell in love and got married when we were 16 years old. We were still in high school when we welcomed our twins.
As a pregnant teenager, I was subject to endless judgments and assumptions. As my pregnancy progressed, even my doctors assumed that I would be dropping out of school.
But I’ve always excelled academically—I’ve always been a thinker and a high achiever. I wasn’t about to give that up just because I was put on bed rest! I advocated for myself and shocked my doctors by telling them that they needed to find a way for me to keep up with my studies and graduate on time. They worked with the public school system to arrange for a teacher to visit me at home to teach me, administer my exams, and grade my homework.
After my babies were born, I didn’t slow down. Unfortunately, my school had just shut down their program for teen mothers, and the administration clearly didn’t want me around. Through the Upward Bound program, which helps prepare high school students from low-income families for college, I was connected to New Vistas High School, which was created specifically for teen mothers. The school bus that picked me up every morning had infant car seats where I would strap in my two babies, and when we arrived at the school, I would drop them off at daycare there. In addition to the standard high school curriculum, I was required to attend parenting classes, where I learned about nutrition, discipline, household budgeting, and more. I realized that God was blessing me with an opportunity, and I took it and ran.
My husband and I have six children, and most of them grew up while their parents were in school. In fact, all of our children were born by the time I decided that I wanted to go back to nursing school. It was my children’s pediatrician who inspired me to pursue this dream—she told me about how she was in her forties when she started medical school and about how her husband and family supported her. I realized that it wasn’t too late for me to pursue my inquisitive side that had propelled me through high school.
This new venture required many sacrifices, starting from the time that I was trying to get into nursing school. At that time, the nursing program at Minneapolis College enrolled new students on a first-come, first-serve basis—meaning that there was a race to get to the door first on enrollment day. My sister and I ended up camping out on campus overnight. I became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and then a Registered Nurse (RN) through Minneapolis College, and then I transferred to Metro State University so that I could also earn my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
Still, I wasn’t done with school. As I progressed in my education and in my career, I noticed again and again the gender disparities in healthcare. Even in my own family, I saw how women and girls were treated differently and often disparagingly by healthcare providers. I realized that what I needed to do to help my people was to pursue women’s health.
My other motivation for pursuing women’s health is my experience as a survivor of sexual abuse as a young girl. While I’m tremendously grateful for my mother, who placed me in therapy and supported my personal healing, I’ve realized how important it is to care for the health and well-being of women and girls, starting from an early age.
I went back for my doctorate in nursing, specializing in women’s health. Even in women’s health programs, though, the focus remains on reproductive and sexual healthcare—which is only one part of our health as women. For that reason, I attended the University of Minnesota because their women’s health specialization is a dual program that also includes primary care.
Women are much more than our reproductive capacity, and we deserve healthcare that considers our holistic well-being. When I treat women, I care for them as deeply as my male patients. With my background, I’ve become the nurse to whom my colleagues come when they have a question about women’s health, especially Black and African women’s health. I worked at Mayo Clinic for eight years but recently returned to the Twin Cities, where I can work with a much more diverse population that reflects my own background. I take pride in advocating for systemic improvements in the delivery of patient care—just as I advocated for myself when I was a patient.
Black History Month for me means diving into my own Blackness and my Black identity in a deep way that I did not have the privilege to do when I was younger. It hasn’t been until my later adult years, especially as a parent to Black Muslim children, that I’ve developed a deeper appreciation for my history.
I’ve also learned recently that I must come to accept not knowing everything about my roots. Now, what matters most to me is thriving within my Black Muslim community and living out future Black history in the present moment.
Natya Stroud has a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from the University of Minnesota in the areas of Women’s Health and Adult Health. She holds additional certification as a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP). She is a Nurse Practitioner at Allina Health Cancer Institute. Natya’s clinical experience includes women’s focused care in primary care, breast health, menopause and sexual health. She has academic experience that includes Instructor in Medicine in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. Because community service is important to Natya, she has a long history of youth mentorship; community educator; and serving women, families and children in the community.
In her free time, Natya enjoys staying connected with nature and developing her hobbies in sewing and crafting. Natya thanks firstly Allah and then her family for all the support and encouragement in her successful endeavors.