Although her mother struggled with health issues, Ms. Francis found stability in the women who helped raise her. Born and raised in Overtown, a historic Black neighborhood in Miami, Ms. Francis grew up during segregation, where being biracial shaped many of her earliest experiences. “My mom started dyeing my hair with coffee,” Ms. Francis recalled. Although her mother struggled with health issues, Ms. Francis found stability in the women who helped raise her. Determined to keep that promise, Ms. Francis began exercising, walking and changing her lifestyle before undergoing weight-loss surgery.