Young Advisory Leadership Council
Breaking Barriers: An Interview with Dr. Priscilla Slanetz on Breast Cancer Screenings
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in the US, yet disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes remain a critical public health issue. Black women in particular face higher mortality rates despite lower incidence compared to White women. According to the American Cancer Society, Black women have a 38% higher mortality…
Read MoreA Spoonful of Sugar: The Link between Diet and Uterine Cancer
Over the past decade, rates of cancer diagnoses have decreased, and rates of cancer survival have increased. However, cases of cancer that affect the female reproductive system, such as uterine cancer, continue to rise. According to the American Cancer Society, uterine cancer is the most commonly diagnosed gynecological cancer in the US. Uterine cancer includes…
Read MoreFood and Environmental Justice in Mattapan: An Interview with Vivien Morris of Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition
During an interview in 2024 with Ramya Kumar, Program Coordinator at the Resilient Sisterhood Project (RSP) and former volunteer at Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition, Vivien Morris discussed food insecurity, blue and green spaces, and health equity advocacy. Mattapan is a southern neighborhood of Boston, located a few miles from downtown Boston, Massachusetts. The majority…
Read MoreHistorical Perceptions of Black Bodies and Cleanliness: “Did You Put Any ‘Smell Good’ On You Today?”
“Eske’w mete santi bon?” my grandma would ask me almost every Sunday before church. This phrase, which translates to “Did you put any ‘smell good’ on you?,” is a question I have no doubt many young Haitian girls have heard before. I would begrudgingly say no, which prompted her to pull out a small light…
Read MoreNot Everything that Glitters is Gold
Imagine you’re getting ready for a concert. You do your regular makeup routine but decide to add glitter for a little extra pizazz. To match the glitter on your face, you strap on some glittery boots to bring your outfit to the next level. Then, every day for the next week, you find specks of…
Read MoreChampioning for Change: An Influencer’s Fight for Her Own Reproductive Health
“If we have so much shame and stigma about these health issues, how do we talk about them and notice a pattern? How do we know what signs to look out for? How can we properly advocate for ourselves?” – Latoya Shauntay Snell Latoya Shauntay Snell is a chef, ultrarunner, and social justice advocate from…
Read MoreAddressing Period Poverty in Our Communities
Many of us have had a moment when we realize it is “that time of the month” while at work or in class, and we feel relieved to find a spare pad or tampon at the bottom of our bags. We may even have had a situation where we couldn’t find that spare and there…
Read MoreYou Are Not Alone in Your Uterine Fibroids Journey
Nkem Osian, a member of Resilient Sisterhood Project’s Young Advisory Leadership Council, sat down with RSP for an interview recently about her journey with uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroids are noncancerous tumors that grow on the uterus and can cause prolonged menstrual periods, early labor, and miscarriages. The size of a fibroid varies from a small…
Read MoreA Family History
I was 37 years old when my mom died. Together, we shared a lifetime of experiences: birthdays, trips, and graduations. But now, a decade after her death, the two events that linger most vividly in my mind are the moment I watched her take her last breath and the day I found out that her…
Read MoreIntroducing Alliance for Healthy Tomorrow and Safer States
At RSP, we recognize the lack of general awareness and knowledge regarding the toxic chemicals found in many commonly used household and personal care products. A great majority of personal care products used primarily by black women can lead to adverse health outcomes, specifically in the area of reproductive health. In response to this concern,…
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