My Black ADHD Heroes

These famous Black women helped me come to terms with my own ADHD diagnosis

Solange Knowles speaks onstage at the Lena Horne Prize Event on February 28, 2020 in New York City. Photo: Jason Mendez/Getty Images for The Town Hall

Being diagnosed with ADHD at age 29 was the revelation I never knew I needed. I always knew there was something left undiscovered in myself. Sometimes it felt like a curse; other times it felt like buried treasure. But it turned out to be ADHD.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most misunderstood and overlooked conditions in women. Dubbed the “lost generation” by clinical psychologist Michelle Frank, 50% to 75% of women with ADHD aren’t diagnosed until adulthood, and women are three times less likely than males overall to receive a diagnosis, according to the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

My greatest obstacle has not been that I have had ADHD my whole life, but not knowing I had it or how to handle it.

In the past year since my diagnosis, I have learned more about myself than I have in my 30 years of life. I’ve learned that I am not stupid, lazy, or crazy. I’ve learned that I have the brain of a hunter, and that the world I live in is built by farmers.

While I have found some workarounds for my neurodiverse brain, I still have a lot more to learn so I can reach my highest potential. What has really helped is…