"Socially marginalized people often do their best theorizing in their cultural productions. Testimonies, diaries, letter, and other texts reflect what African American Women think and how they feel. This is exemplified in Black women’s scholarship and in cancer survivor journals…As embodied “texts,” African American breast cancer survivors particularly reflect ideas about cancer that come from there lived experiences with the disease." Source: Elizabeth A. Williams, Black Women and Breast Cancer : A Cultural Theology (Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2019). p. 43.
Vanessa M. Wilson writes the following in "Twelve Months of cancer Care ... Making the Case for Integrative Medicine" "When a person receives a diagnosis of breast cancer, she starts a complex theodical journey as she fights to restore health.[1] This journey begins with the question, “why me?” and continues with more questions uttered during sleepless nights and waking periods of solitude. Yet, there is no clear answer from the scientific community. However, there is some research that establishes a nexus between childhood trauma and breast cancer. This nexus became a recurrent theme during my journey. It was able to emerge because my treatment was grounded in integrated medicine, connecting spirit, mind and body which has led to good health."
[1] The American Cancer Society estimates for breast cancer in men in the United States for 2019 are: About 2,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed. About 500 men will die from breast cancer breast cancer is about 100 times less common among white men than among white women. It is about 70 times less common among black men than black women. Like black women, black men with breast cancer tend to have a worse prognosis (outlook). For men, the lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about 1 in 833 . Source: Key Statistics for breast cancer in Men Boob Voyage Having a desire to educate friends and family ,as well as demystify the experience of a mastectomy, Rev. Wilson and her friends and sons hosted a Boob Voyage Party. The key note speaker was Brenda Esaw-Howard, a breast cancer Survivor, Activist and Educator. It was a rewarding experience that provided support, spiritual fortification and fun. Some of the photos are below. (Photographer: Aaron Wilson Watson)