HOUSTON — In celebration of its 30 years as the largest and only national Black breast cancer survivor-run organization, Sisters Network® Inc. will host a series of special programs and events to educate, empower, and celebrate the sisterhood the organization has provided for Black women in the United States.
In honor of the 30-year milestone and anniversary theme “Loving Our Sisters for 30 Years”, the organization will kick off its first event with a free virtual forum, “Loving Our Sisters: A Candid Talk About Black Women and Breast Cancer,” on Saturday, March 9, 2024, from 1- 3 p.m. (CST), featuring special breast cancer survivor guest panelists Sara Sidner, CNN anchor and senior national & international correspondent; and Athena Jones, CNN national correspondent. The insightful discussion will be led by Lisa A. Newman, MD, MPH, FAC, Chief of the Division of Breast Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York Presbyterian Hospital Network. The free virtual forum is exclusively supported by Lilly. National strategic partners include Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Click here to register.
‘Inspired by the courage and resilience of the countless Black women’
“As we celebrate 30 years, I am inspired by the courage and resilience of the countless Black women we’ve supported through their battle with breast cancer. We are very proud that Sisters Network Inc. has remained true to our mission for three decades, continues to provide a steadfast support system for thousands of breast cancer survivors, offers impactful breast health education programs and outreach, sustains our operations to serve and advocate for Black women and continues to expand our national footprint with our organizations unique survivor-run affiliate chapter since 1994,” said Karen E. Jackson, founder and CEO of Sisters Network® Inc.
Since the organization’s founding, Jackson says they have contributed so much in the fight against breast cancer, however, she wants to see more progress.
“We have been performing in our communities across the country service and support, and I have always envisioned in the beginning that by now, we would’ve had a cure, so that was my main goal and my main focus,” Jackson told d-mars in an interview. “I’d say we’ve made a great impact, because when I first started, people ran away saying, ‘There’s that breast cancer lady.’ They didn’t want to hear anything about breast cancer, so in that respect, our community is listening.”
As part of the 30th anniversary celebrations, the organization will launch a new website in early spring, host 30 for 30 fundraisers, a Pretty in Pink 30th Anniversary Luncheon on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, and a special surprise during the National Black Breast Cancer Summit on Oct. 4-6, 2024, in Houston.
The historic Stop the Silence Walk will also return for its 14th year on April 20, 2024, during National Minority Health Awareness Month. The walk will be held at Lynn Eusan Park at the University of Houston Central Campus located at 4400 Calhoun Dr., Houston, TX 77004. The annual 5k remains the only national breast cancer walk hosted by a Black-led organization for Black breast cancer survivors.
“Our Stop the Silence 5K Walk/Run is more than just a race; it’s a movement. Each step taken symbolizes the journey and courage of breast cancer survivors, honors the memory of those we lost to breast cancer, and amplifies the importance of early detection in the Black community,” Jackson said.
Each year, over 3,000 participants from around the United States come together to walk in honor, memory, and celebration of the women they love who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Black women are still 42% more likely to die of breast cancer than white women. Black women under 35 get breast cancer at two times the rate of white women and die at three times the rate.
“We can see that there is a breast cancer crisis because we have not come to a point where the women in our community are surviving breast cancer as they should. As a 31-year breast cancer survivor, I have seen where women have not been able to get the best service because of the lack of facilities in their area or their city and they don’t have the wherewithal to go to other cities to better hospitals. That’s a very major problem in our community,” Jackson said.
The walk is supported by Pfizer, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Eisai, Lilly, and Merck. A portion of the funds raised from the walk support the Karen E. Jackson Breast Cancer Assistance Program (BCAP). Established in 2006, BCAP provides much-needed financial support to survivors and pays for mammograms for uninsured and underinsured women nationwide. To date, BCAP has provided nearly $1.4 million in financial support and early detection screenings.
Visit www.stopthesilencewalk.org to register. For more information about Sisters Network® Inc., please visit
www.sistersnetworkinc.org or call 866-781-1808 or follow the organization on Instagram and X (@sistersnetwork), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/sistersnetworkinc).
About Sisters Network® Inc.
Sisters Network® Inc. was founded in 1994 by Karen Eubanks Jackson, a 31-year and four-time breast cancer survivor. Today, SNI is the largest and only national Black breast cancer survivorship organization in the United States and a leading voice in the fight against breast cancer in the Black community. Sisters Network Inc. National headquarters is in Houston, Texas. The organization has over 25 survivor-run affiliate chapters nationwide located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
