Our Health. Our Stories. Our Power: Black Women and Breast Cancer Awareness

November 11, 2025

Word In Black and the Michigan Chronicle have launched a survey initiative to collect experiences from Black women about breast cancer, addressing a critical health disparity. Black women face disproportionately poor outcomes with breast cancer, including younger diagnoses, more aggressive disease forms, and higher mortality rates compared to white women, even with equivalent treatment. The survey aims to capture stories and data that have historically been excluded from healthcare research and policy decisions.

Who is affected

Black women (particularly those facing breast cancer diagnoses or at risk)
Families and communities of Black women
Healthcare systems
Policymakers
Media organizations
Researchers studying breast cancer disparities

What action is being taken

Word In Black, in partnership with the Michigan Chronicle, is conducting a short, confidential survey collecting Black women's experiences with breast cancer
The Word In Black Health Equity Initiative is organizing this data collection effort

Why it matters

Black women experience significantly worse breast cancer outcomes than white women, including younger age at diagnosis, more aggressive disease types, and higher mortality rates even with identical treatment. Their voices and experiences have been systematically excluded from the data that shapes healthcare delivery and research funding allocation. This survey provides an opportunity to document real barriers—such as delayed screenings, limited care access, and medical mistrust rooted in historical inequality—that can inform systemic changes in how healthcare providers, policymakers, and media address breast cancer in Black communities.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle