Sisters Network® Inc. (SNI) has remained a necessary resource locally and nationally, helping to fight breast cancer in the African American community for nearly three decades. Founder and CEO Karen Eubanks Jackson is a 28-year four-time breast cancer survivor and author who is recognized nationally as a true visionary and national leader in the Black breast cancer movement. In 1994, Jackson founded SNI during her personal fight to survive breast cancer and recognized a lack of “sisterhood” in traditional organizations, a staggering breast cancer mortality rate for African American women, and limited culturally sensitive material. Often referred to as a “breast cancer champion,” Jackson’s primary motivation was to break through the silence and shame of breast cancer that immobilizes African American women, restricts their ability to receive support services, interferes with early detection, and ultimately affects their survival rates.
A Leader in the Black Breast Cancer Movement for Nearly Three Decades
SNI is the nation’s largest and only national Black breast cancer survivorship organization. Jackson, along with a dedicated staff, partners, sponsors, and other supporters continue to lead SNI’s nationwide effort to focus the spotlight on increasing breast cancer awareness in our community. The organization provides standardized national educational outreach programs, survivor and family support, empowerment, hope, and financial assistance to thousands of women annually through its national network of over 25 survivor-run affiliate chapters. One of SNI’s efforts is the 12th Annual Stop the Silence 5K Walk/Run held on Saturday, April 23rd at Discovery Green.
“Sisters Network® Inc. has remained a necessary and vital resource and the voice for Black women in the fight against breast cancer for nearly three decades. What makes Sisters Network special is we are the only national Black breast cancer survivor organization. We have an extensive network of affiliate chapters around the United States to serve Black women. Since 1994, through our programs, Sisters Network has been on the front lines providing emotional support to thousands of Black women facing breast cancer, providing educational resources and mammograms/ultrasounds, and contributing nearly $1 million in financial assistance.” – Karen Eubanks Jackson, Founder and CEO of Sisters Network® Inc.
SNI continues to be the leader in the Black breast cancer movement supporting thousands of Black women for nearly three decades.
Q&A With Sisters Network Inc.:
Since your efforts over the years, have you seen more African American women in our community be more proactive when it comes to breast cancer screenings and regular exams? Black women are being diagnosed more frequently with breast cancer and dying at alarming rates as compared to white women and other ethnicities. While we are seeing an increase in Black women talking about breast health awareness, and getting mammograms there is still much more work to be done. We need our women to also participate in clinical trials so we can get better treatment and save more lives. Black breast cancer is just different, and more research is needed. Sisters Network won’t stop advocating, educating, and supporting Black women until breast cancer is no longer a crisis in our community.
How has Sisters Network adapted during the pandemic, continuing to successfully serve the community? While the pandemic has been challenging, it also opened up new opportunities for the organization to expand its footprint by hosting a series of virtual educational webinars and a major event last October. “The State of Black Breast Cancer Crisis,” “A National Town Hall,” and “Call to Action” attracted over 2,000 participants.
Talk about the 12th Annual Stop the Silence 5K Walk/Run this month and how it’s an important initiative to continue your service in our community and around the nation. Funds raised from the 12th Annual Stop the Silence 5K Run/Walk will support Sisters Network Inc. 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, the program has provided nearly $1 million dollars in financial support and early detection screenings. Since 2010, the Stop the Silence 5KWalk/Run has attracted over 5,000 participants each year from around the nation who come together to walk in honor, memory, and celebration of the women they love who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The event is generously supported by Pfizer, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Eisai, Natrelle, and HEB.
Are there any recent awards/honors that you want to mention? Founder and CEO Mrs. Jackson has been honored and recognized for her tireless work in the breast cancer community by BET, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and Essence Magazine just to name a few. Here are some recent honors Mrs. Jackson has received: Mrs. Jackson was invited to the White House by President Joe Biden as a National Cancer Leader/Advocate to hear more about his war on cancer as he relaunches the Moonshot 2.0 Cancer Initiative. Sisters Network Inc. has been named and certified as America’s Best Charities. Mrs. Jackson recently received recognition for her outstanding work in the cancer community from The Cancer Health 25, and Mrs. Jackson recently received the “She Believed She Could, So She Did” Award from Breast Cancer Wellness Magazine.
Sisters Network is the largest and only national Black breast cancer survivor-run organization, now with a new affiliate chapter in Montgomery, Alabama. What does this mean for the organization as a whole? Our organization is continuing to expand into new cities with our affiliate chapter network. Currently, we have 30 survivor-run affiliate chapters and are excited to welcome our new sisters in Montgomery, Alabama. We also have three more chapters that will be announced very soon.
For more information about Sisters Network Inc., please visit www.sistersnetworkinc.org, and for more about how you can support the 12th Annual Stop the Silence 5K Walk/Run, please visit www.stopthesilencewalk.org.
