For the Breast of Us may have started as a place for women of color affected by breast cancer to connect and share stories about their experiences, but one year after launching, it’s taken on a multifaceted life of its own.

In March 2019, Jasmine Souers and Marissa Thomas met for the first time at an international conference for young breast cancer survivors. Bonded by the shared realization that many African American and other women of color felt like outsiders in the larger breast cancer community, the two exchanged contact information and began developing a plan to change that narrative.

According to Story Half Told, while death rates are decreasing across ethnicities, ethnic disparities still exist in breast cancer care and prognosis. On average, African American women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than their white counterparts. African American women are also more likely to have triple-negative breast cancer which is associated with poorer short-term prognosis. And Hispanic women are more likely to have tumors that are larger than average and hormone-receptor negative, both of which are more difficult to treat.

The two women understood, from personal experience, breast cancer as a disease that has the power to disrupt one’s entire life physically, emotionally, financially and more. With communities of color facing a history of racial discrimination, medical mistrust, and being less likely to have health insurance, in addition to facing mental health disparities, it seemed necessary to create a space women could feel seen, heard, validated and empowered with knowledge.

“We totally had this idea to educate and inspire women through storytelling from the beginning,” said Jasmine Souers, the 29-year old co-founder of For the Breast of Us who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 26. “But a lot of the projects we’ve started and opportunities we’ve received were just God-inspired. So we’ve had the privilege of exploring the spaces of advocacy and grassroots community-building in a way we would have never imagined the day we launched the site.”

The two burst onto the scene and gained great traction their first year online, proving not even distance could hinder the power of shared passion and purpose as they work remotely from Jacksonville, FL and Seattle, WA.

From partnering with Young Survival Coalition to launch the first virtual support group for young African American thrivers to landing the cover of Wildfire Magazine in a collaborative issue focused on the social aspects of breast cancer, and even the noticeable increase in stories and imagery of women of color particularly in the young breast cancer community, it’s hard to ignore the influence of this dynamic duo.

“Representation matters,” said Marissa Thomas, 40-year old co-founder of For the Breast of Us who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 35. “Sharing the stories and experiences of women of color affected by breast cancer with more than 20,000 people in 99 countries in one year is a huge accomplishment. But it’s really just the tip of the iceberg for us.”

“Believe it or not, we faced a lot of discouragement when we tried to talk to people about this idea to create For the Breast of Us, but we remained steadfast, trusted God and now, so many women, including ourselves have been blessed from our decision to take this leap of faith,” said Jasmine.

“Absolutely,” agreed Marissa. “We’re in this for the long haul. One year down. Many more to go and we couldn’t be more excited.”

A special thanks to:

Everyone who believed in our mission. Everyone who shared their story, shared a post or bought something from our shop. Everyone who shared their knowledge or gave us opportunities to partner, learn and grow. And of course, everyone who took a minute to send us love and well wishes as we celebrate our first milestone.

We love and appreciate you more than you know.