Mary J. Blige has teamed up with First Lady Jill Biden to support a health initiative from The White House. According to the Associated Press, the two women and the American Cancer Society announced progressive meetings on breast and cervical cancer.
This comes after President Joe Biden and Jill announced the “cancer moonshot” initiative earlier this year. The roundtables will bring doctors, scientists, and other professionals together and encourage collaborative research, and investment in new treatments and therapies
Mrs. Biden says through financial support for research, the effort will “help us end cancer as we know it. For good.”
As she spoke, the My Life singer shared her own experience with cancer as it relates to her personal story and the Black community. With multiple family members that have passed away from the deadly condition, Blige believes “the practice of not wanting other people in our business” hinders Black people from receiving adequate and timely care.
“They would have a different outcome today,” she said of her aunts, godmother, and grandparents.
According to Susan G. Komen statistics, among younger women, Black and non-Hispanic Black women have higher rates of breast cancer compared to white and non-Hispanic white women. Additionally, Black women tend to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age than white women.