Do You Know Your Girls? Susan G. Komen Is Asking
Cancer: the word alone strikes fear in my heart from the depths of places I didn't even know existed.
And while I've been pretty healthy my entire life, as I get older, I find myself thinking more and more about the possibility of battling a health crisis that I might not be as prepared for as I should be.
I've seen cancer seemingly pop up out of nowhere and take the lives of people that have meant the world to me.
When I think of breast cancer in particular, I think about my aunts, my friend's mother, my half sister, her mother, the ones that couldn't beat it, and the countless survivors I've seen on TV or have read about in the media. But why don't I ever think about myself? I subconsciously check my breasts frequently, so I think I "know my girls" pretty well. They have lives of their own, they even have nicknames, but—I'm ashamed to admit— their health hasn't always been a priority. The truth is, I've never felt I had the right kind of resources to truly understand the risk factors, much less the prevalence of the disease in my own community, or the preventative measures readily available to me—until now.
How well do you Know Your Girls?
Breast Cancer Pecs GIF by CoppaFeel!Giphy
You've probably heard of Susan G. Komen: the world's leading breast cancer organization. In partnership with the Ad Council (the nation's leader of PSA's), they recently launched KnowYourGirls, an initiative that aims to educate and inspire black women to understand their risk for breast cancer and take charge of their breast health. The American Cancer Society recently revealed some startling facts in their research publication, entitled Cancer; Facts & Figures for African-Americans 2016-2018:
Black women in the U.S. are 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, and a recent study found that while 92 percent of black women agree breast health is important, only 25 percent of women have recently discussed breast health with their family, friends, or colleagues and only 17 percent have taken steps to understand their risk for breast cancer.
That's where the Know Your Girls campaign wants to step in by helping to empower black women to not only know their risk factors and pay more attention to their breast health, but to also begin to diminish the fear associated with the disease. Lisa Sherman, the President and CEO of the Ad Council, feels that the campaign introduces an unprecedented way for black women to embrace our sisterhood while educating and empowering each other about the importance of breast health:
The Know Your Girls campaign introduces breast cancer education through a celebration of the powerful sisterhood between black women. Instead of focusing on fear, the campaign provides tools and information that can help black women feel ownership around their breast health and encourages the sharing of those resources and messages with the women who support them throughout their lives.
The campaign has bold goals beyond breast health education. The Know Your Girls campaign is aimed at black women because the disparity in our mortality rates compared to white women is so great. Susan G. Komen's goal is to reduce the current 40,000 annual breast cancer deaths by 50 percent in the U.S. by 2026. This goal cannot be achieved without educating and equipping black women with the tools they need to prevent and/or fight this deadly disease. According to Steve Stoute, Founder and CEO of Translation, "Creating a healthy dialogue between women of color, their fears, and their breasts is a critical step towards eradication."
So what are you waiting for? Head over to KnowYourGirls.org to get more details on the statistics, read personal stories, get informed and get involved in this important discussion.
Don't forget to pass this info on to your friends and family, too. Your girls will thank you!
Featured image by Shutterstock
Michelle Schmitz is a writer and editor based in Washington, DC originally from Ft Lauderdale, FL. A self-described ambivert, you can find her figuring out ways to read more than her monthly limit of The New York Times, attending concerts, and being a badass, multi-tasking supermom. She also runs her own blog MichelleSasha.com. Keep up with her latest moves on IG: @michellesashawrites and Twitter: @michellesashas
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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You've Never Seen Luke James In A Role Quite Like This
Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
Courtesy
Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
Getty Images
Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
Featured image by Getty Images