Hollywood-type wives, in general, are an interesting bunch — especially if you believe the reality show depictions of them when their husband’s stars, inevitably, begin to fade.
Fortunately for all of us, Tonya Lewis Lee is not a Hollywood or Hollywood-type wife. Though her husband is one of the greatest directors of the modern era — Spike Lee — Tonya Lewis Lee’s work speaks for itself. She’s long been passionate about women’s health — especially Black women’s health — and when she speaks about it, the passion in her voice is palpable.
“Self-care is not a luxury,” she told AfroTech. “Black women are, all too often, told to ‘be strong,’ and we can have a whole discussion about the problems around that. But, more importantly, if it’s to be that Black women must ‘be strong,’ then they need to understand that they need to be healthy if they want to truly be strong.”
Lee — who was once a spokeswoman for A Healthy Baby Begins With You, which addresses the infant mortality crisis in the United States — understands that there’s a huge wellness gap between white and Black women…and, yes, even between wealthy and working-class Black women.
And it’s with this innate understanding of the disparity in mind that Tonya Lewis Lee created Movita Organics, which takes a holistic — and wholistic — approach to health. While not specifically designed just for mothers, Movita Organics is made by a woman, for women’s health.
Fortified with the RDA of necessary nutrients, and made with all-natural ingredients, Tonya Lewis Lee says Movita Organics is specifically designed to help women achieve their best health.
“As women, we need to understand that we won’t always be perfect — and we’re not going to do everything right,” she said. “But, you know, there are simple and actionable steps you can take, every day, to achieve optimal wellness. It’s not just about popping a vitamin — yes, even a vitamin of mine — and calling it a day. It’s about being whole in mind, in body, in spirit. Move around for about 30 minutes a day. Surround yourself with positive people and bring yourself back to center — oh, mental health, yes, that is so real. You need to be just as healthy in spirit as you are in mind and body. And, yes, we’re losing the stigma surrounding mental health, piece by piece, but — as TD Jakes says, — ‘We need to also not be afraid to reach out and get the help if we need it.'”
To that end, too, Movita Organics ticks off all the necessary boxes for modern women’s health, allowing them to get the holistic health that they need. It’s vegan, gluten- and cruelty-free, and comes in a variety of formulations tailored to women’s specific needs (for example, there’s a prenatal blend, as well as a multivitamin blend, to name but a few).
“I love Black women,” said Tonya Lewis Lee. “And I want them to love themselves, too. Part of that involves loving their bodies to health — because if we learn to put ourselves first, it’s not being selfish. It’s taking care of ourselves, and of each other, and our husbands and children too.”
Editorial note: portions of this interview have been condensed for clarity.
