60 years after his famous speech from The March on Washington, the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. echo through the caverns of society as inequality resonates with a profound depth amongst Black people in America. This contributes to ongoing inequalities in education, housing, employment, and even healthcare. In fact, Black women experience higher rates of death from breast cancer due to a combination of factors, including barriers to early diagnosis and high-quality treatment, the aggressive nature of certain breast cancers diagnosed more often in Black women, lack of high-quality care, genetics, discrimination and systemic racism.  

Though progress has been made since 1963, racial injustice in healthcare is prominent and the Black community is continually impacted. Though the situation may seem bleak, there is hope that we can work towards equity in healthcare and provide ample treatment to save the lives of all individuals, regardless of skin color. “With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.” 

Determined to make a change, Susan G. Komen® explored 10 metropolitan areas to understand the unique drivers of disparities in each community. The reports identified several trends that exist to varying degrees in each area, launching the Health Equity Revolution program, Stand For H.E.R, which you can learn more about here. This is a focused initiative to decrease breast cancer disparities in the Black community by 25% beginning in the U.S. metropolitan areas where inequities are greatest. You can read a summary of their findings and see what metropolitan areas are most affected here.  

The funds you raise for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® contribute to providing genetic counseling and testing, financial assistance, screening and diagnostic services, and empowering Black women and men to advocate for themselves.  

We walk together, for each other. We walk because we must. We walk because “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” ?Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.   

“We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt… We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.”  

Now is the time to end breast cancer. For everyone.