SisterLove, Inc., along with partner organizations, Dr. BK Edmond and The BK Edmond Project, Women With a Vision (WWAV), and Dr. Mausiki Scales of Common Ground Collective were in the Big Easy during the Essence Festival having our own event building awareness for breast health through the NANA Project, an 18-month initiative funded by Gilead Sciences.
Using Education to Heal
The New Alliance for Novel Approaches (NANA) Project's primary goal is to engage Black people who are living with, or are survivors of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and to implement a unique, cultural, and practical community education based in part on the successful short novel, “Nana and the Bushwoman”, by Dr. Edmond.
The successful novel, and the use of Afrocentric techniques for self-exam found in the novel, aims to improve Black women’s involvement with awareness, prevention, and early detection of breast cancer. SisterLove hosted the event at the beautiful Le Muse'e: A House Museum Honoring the Legacy of New Orleans Free People of Color, which featured Dr. BK Edmond speaking about breast health and performing self-breast exam demonstrations.
WWAV, a women's reproductive health and rights-centered community-based nonprofit located in New Orleans, led a moving panel discussion about TNBC with survivors from the local area.
Mausiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective, native to Atlanta, lit up the night with their unique blend of afrobeat, funk, hip-hop, and jazz fusion. Coincidentally, the band has a song entitled NANA which they performed.
Dwight Eubanks was the event producer for the well-attended affair. He is best known for his appearances on The Real Housewives of Atlanta and his internationally known hair salon in Atlanta, The Purple Door.
Raising Awareness for Breast Health
The second awareness event, held a few days later and also in New Orleans, was hosted at a beautiful private residence near the French Quarter.
The breast health awareness event was tailored for locals in a smaller gathering with more intimate conversations and questions about TNBC.
Led and hosted by SisterLove staff, the affair- lovingly called a Tit-Tea Party - featured open and transparent conversations about TNBC.
Project lead for the NANA Project, Tiah Tomlin-Harris, led the discussion complete with a self-exam demonstration on a silicon breast.
Tiah is more than just a project manager. She is herself a TNBC survivor and gave a personal account of her journey once diagnosed.
Attendees received autographed copies of Dr. BK Edmond's book, “Nana and the Bushwoman”, NANA branded tee-shirts, an authentic Louisiana-inspired gourmet meal from a local caterer Two Fish Five Loaves Catering Company LLC, exotic teas, and Amazon gift cards. SisterLove's Sybil Miller, Director of Comms, Tamika English, Source Leadership Manager and Board Chair, Dr. Cedric Pulliam also spoke with attendees.
The home was beautifully decorated by Dwight Eubanks for the event.
View the full photo gallery of the event on our Flickr page
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