Spotlight On: Sisters Network Inc.

When Karen E. Jackson was diagnosed with breast cancer, in 1993, she was met with a lack of educational resources and no community to rely on for support. What’s more, she felt that racial biases within the healthcare system kept her from receiving proper treatment. It left her feeling isolated and lonely.

“To not be able to pick up the phone and ask the questions that I had was devastating,” says Jackson. “I wanted to know what was going on throughout the country for Black women with breast cancer, not only to help myself, but to help other Black women.” In those days, cultural stigmas surrounding breast cancer kept many people in Black communities from speaking out about their health. “At that time, my own family didn’t want me to talk about being a breast cancer survivor,” Jackson says. “Even though we had a family history, they preferred that I not discuss it so publicly. But I never had that feeling. I just went ahead and spoke my truth.”

Jackson found herself in the position of creating the community she needed. She founded Sisters Network Inc. in 1994, the country’s first and only national Black breast cancer organization focused on helping Black women who have been diagnosed with the disease.

She, and the women she’s connected to, have been speaking their truth ever since.

In 2024, Sisters Network Inc. is celebrating 30 years of service. Jackson, now a 31-year cancer survivor, remains on the Sisters Network board of directors as both its founder and CEO. The organization, which has more than 25 survivor-run affiliate chapters, continues to educate and support Black women, as well as encourage them to speak up about their health.

Their Goal

Jackson says she founded Sisters Network with the intent to support Black women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, as well as to educate the community about the disease. “Facing breast cancer alone does not help your diagnosis, but having support … gives you hope and gets rid of fear,” Jackson says. “We were able to provide that.”

After three decades as the pioneer in the Black breast cancer movement, Sisters Network remains as committed to its mission as it was when it was founded in 1994, and it has solidified its position as the global leader and leading voice for Black women in the fight against breast cancer.

Services They Provide

In addition to emotional support and connection, the Sisters Network Karen E. Jackson Breast Cancer Assistance Program offers financial support to women who are actively receiving breast cancer treatment. The program provides financial assistance that can be used on rent and utilities, as well as an early detection component that pays for 3D mammogram and ultrasound support for uninsured or underinsured women nationwide.

To learn more about the program and how to apply, visit?their website, where you’ll also?find several educational resources, including brochures on how to give yourself a breast exam and what you should be asking your doctor.

They’ve also posted past webinars covering topics ranging from clinical trials to why more Black women are being diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer.

Events

Sisters Network will soon be gearing up to host its 15th annual Stop the Silence 5K walk/run, which will be held in April 2025 during National Minority Health Awareness Month. Each year, over 4,000 participants come together in Houston to to celebrate survivors, raise awareness about the breast cancer crisis in the Black community, and help raise funds to support the organization’s financial assistance program.

“It means so much that women, men, and children come from all over the country to support our annual Stop the Silence 5K Walk/Run,” Jackson says. “It’s an educational opportunity, it’s a fun opportunity, and it helps raise money for the organization to continue our work and impact.”

Also coming this October 2024: Sisters Network will host its annual National Black Breast Cancer Summit. This is the only national Black breast cancer summit hosted by a Black-led organization. More than 300 women attend each year. The event is free and attracts nationally recognized medical experts who present the most current information on breast health. For more information, please visit the Sisters Network site.

Core Belief

“Make your health a top priority,” Jackson says. “There is no reason that any of us should be walking around without knowing that our health is a top priority over anything that we’re doing. The saying your health is your wealth is real.”

Ryland J. Gore, MD, MPH

Medical Reviewer

Castle Connolly

Ryland Gore, MD, MPH, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained surgeon specializing in breast surgical oncology in Atlanta. She completed her general surgery residency at Rush University Medical Center and John H. Stroger Cook County Hospital in Chicago. She went on to complete her breast surgical oncology fellowship at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.

In addition to her professional responsibilities, Gore previously served on the board of directors for Every Woman Works, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower women and help them transition into independence and stability from common setbacks. Gore served as the chairwoman of the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign in Atlanta for three years (2019 to 2021). She is currently the co-director of Nth Dimensions’ Strategic Mentoring Program and the alumni board chair of the Summer Health Professions Educational Program (SHPEP), which is a collaborative effort by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Association of American Medical Colleges, and the American Dental Education Association.

Gore is a highly sought after speaker, consultant, and lecturer on breast cancer and breast health, as well as women’s empowerment topics.

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Leona Vaughn

Author

Leona Vaughn was born and raised in Seattle, where she also completed her undergraduate degree in journalism at the University of Washington (UW). During her time at UW, she worked as a freelance writer for her school newspaper, The Daily UW, where she wrote stories about mental health and wellness. Vaughn was also an editorial intern for The Seattle Globalist, a local news outlet, where she focused most of her writing on issues of race and diversity.

Toward the end of her undergraduate career, Vaughn tried her hand at political reporting and covered the legislative session in Olympia, Washington, where she continued to pursue mental health within the realm of politics.

At the end of 2020 — in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic — Vaughn moved to New York City to continue her education at Columbia University. She earned her master's degree in journalism in 2021.

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