Our History
Our Founder
HERstory In Color (HSIC) was founded in 2021 by Holly Jones, a passionate advocate and trailblazer who turned her personal health journey into a powerful movement. In 2003, Holly was diagnosed at the age of 19, and began suffering in silence on the rollercoaster of living with multiple invisible chronic illnesses. In 2016, Holly had a severe mental breakdown that started to take a toll on her physically and spiritually. She felt like she was just existing to die. After a discussion with her husband and a dear friend, Holly began her advocacy work in 2017 by publicly sharing her experience of living with Polymyositis, a rare inflammatory muscle disease, on her radio/talk show called Krazy N Christian and YouTube Channel, MyoLife. As her journey evolved, she faced challenges of Interstitial Lung Disease, Pulmonary Hypertension, Congestive Heart Failure, and Vasovagal Syncope, conditions that often go unseen and misunderstood, especially among women of color.
Responding to the absence of a culturally sensitive support group, Holly first created the Myositis Women of Color Facebook support group in 2020, which later evolved into the Myositis Women of Color Affinity Group at The Myositis Association in 2021. In November of 2021, she founded HERstory In Color after recognizing a continued lack of representation and support for women of color diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses, an experience that mirrored her own. Her vision was clear: to build a safe and empowering community rooted in sisterhood, shared strength, and story-sharing. Holly is passionate and committed to uplifting voices that are too often silenced in the healthcare system and society. She encourages women to embrace their journeys, advocate for better care, and support one another without judgment—because every story matters, and every voice deserves to be heard and echoed. Coining the phrase: Be the Voice and the Echo!
Our Vision
We envision a healthcare system where women of color with multiple chronic illnesses and mental health comorbidities receive timely diagnosis, equitable support, and comprehensive care, embraced with compassion and informed by inclusive research and community collaboration.
Our Mission
Herstory In Color creates a safe space for women of color affected by multiple chronic illnesses and mental health comorbidities. We provide a platform for sharing experiences and developing solutions, extending support to their families, caregivers, peers, and the physicians who care for them. Through community engagement, education, advocacy, and culturally responsive research, we aim to eliminate delayed diagnoses, promote prevention, improve treatment options, and raise awareness of the unique challenges in our community.