By Brian C. Byrd
Juneteenth is a day of celebration for the African American community, as it marks the day
when slaves in Texas discovered they were officially free. Just as this day has become a national
holiday, organizations such as the Thelma D. Jones Breast Cancer Fund (TDJBCF) have
worked tirelessly to ensure that people of color also have freedom in their health. “Our vision is
to embrace and achieve a world community free of breast cancer,” shared Thelma D. Jones, the
fund’s namesake, during her welcome for the National Men’s Health Month and Juneteenth
Celebration. The TDJBCF hosts monthly breast cancer support group meetings which welcome
various national and global speakers like Emcee Derrick A. Butts, prostate cancer survivor and
author, president and co-founder, Prostate Health Matters, guest speaker NAACP Hilary O.
Shelton, and Dr. Richard Kennedy, Former Chief Medical Officer, The World Bank Group,
among others.
After a prayer and a mental health message from Jones’ high school classmate and fellow Snow
Hill, NC, native, Dr. Kermit Crawford (speaking on Zoom), Chris Dauphin (husband of the late
Lori L. Wilson, MD) delivered opening remarks. Jones was the inaugural recipient of the Lori L.
Wilson Conquering Cancer Award from Howard University Cancer Center. After defeating
breast cancer in 2007, Jones’ belief that “early detection saves lives and creates a better
outcome” became her defining message. “It is vital to remember that self-care is not a luxury but
is a necessity,” said Dauphin, yet “often men find themselves neglecting their health,
overwhelmed by the demands of daily life and societal expectations. Yet taking care of ourselves
enables us to be better partners, husbands, fathers, and caregivers.” Dauphin also acknowledged
the importance of Juneteenth in relation to our health. “This historic event reminds us of the
resiliency within our community, and serves to urge us to continue striving for equality and
justice in every aspect of our lives, including healthcare.” Dauphin also encouraged men to seek
health practices such as regular health checkups; embracing a balanced lifestyle; and seeking
support when needed. In a moment of vulnerability, Dauphin shared that he sought mental health
treatment after the passing of his wife, explaining that he thought he didn’t need it at one point.
“Self-care is not an act of weakness but a show of strength; you have to take care of yourself
before you can take care of others.” Dauphin closed while honoring Jones for her work in health
advocacy and the desire to continue Dr. Lori L. Wilson’s legacy.
Guest speaker Hilary O. Shelton, National Advisor of Governance Policy for the NAACP,
informed us that the organization does not solely focus on issues such as voters’ rights and civil
rights protection, but also on issues related to healthcare. Shelton painted a bigger picture
than one seen only through the lens of being a U.S. citizen, stating: “The bottom line is thinking
about being able to enjoy the rights, privileges, and protections, of full citizenship in the United
States of America and part of a global nation.” Expanding on how a person’s health can affect his
or her ability to enjoy the rights we have access to, “You can’t enjoy those issues of being able to
freely travel throughout the world. You can’t enjoy being able to go to various clubs and various
other groupings if you do not have your health. It begins a process for us in making sure we
recognize that it is all about advocacy for us in so many ways.”
Shelton spoke of one of the NAACP Founders, W.E.B Du Bois, who recognized the importance
of global advocacy and played a role in the creation of the United Nations. He also gave a
breakdown of the NAACP’s National Board of Directors, which comprises 64 members that are
elected from every state and region in the United States, as well as Europe and Asia. The
NAACP focuses on issues of health for people of African descent globally as well as those in
prison. Shelton explained how some states are regionally connected, including Alaska with
Oregon and Washington, and California with Hawaii, and jokingly spoke to the “hardship” of
traveling to the latter states for conferences. On a more serious note, Shelton shared a testimony
of how a recent regular visit to the doctor essentially saved his life. He and his doctor discussed
areas of his health that could be improved, and Shelton shared his family history of tremors. His
doctor suggested seeing a neurologist and getting an MRI. After his test, he was informed that he
needed to go to the emergency room where he later discovered that he needed to have brain
surgery. Shelton has survived those health issues but shared his story to enlighten the audience
that health can affect all of us. “We know that these issues and challenges with cancer and
otherwise don’t limit themselves to citizenship. We know they draw their own parallels in
the manner in which they move throughout communities and other countries, and we have to
think about them in those terms as well.”
In the same sense, Shelton talked about how the Coronavirus had been the biggest health issue in
recent years and how it was not limited to a specific border or country but affected everyone.
Lastly, a call to action was given, whether it be in the local community or in the halls of
Congress: “When it’s time to ask for our money and our resources and do what we need to do to
make sure our people have what they need, this is the fight we’re ready to have and this is the
struggle we’re very much involved in.”
Afterwards, an engaging and robust Q&A moderated by Emcee Derrick A. Butts was joined by
Dr. Richard Kennedy, a prostate and colon cancer survivor who also serves on the TDJBCF
Board of Directors.
A musical selection was performed by Cecily. In honor of Juneteenth, she sang Sam Cooke’s “A
Change Gonna Come.” This was followed by former NFL Player Ken Harvey, who spoke via
Zoom and introduced his friend Allen Herbert, a two-time breast cancer survivor who also spoke
via Zoom from Las Vegas, NV. Herbert first discovered his ailment while working out and
finding a lump on his chest. Both diagnoses came at a difficult time in his life, but he has since
overcome them and can share his testimony. Herbert’s work as a commercial space and
sustainability advocate allows him to focus on awareness and treatment for breast cancer
in both women and men through a program called the Moonshot Initiative, which does cancer
research on the International Space Station. Breast Cancer Survivor Dr. Dexter Allen,
Veterinarian (large animals), former head of Animal Health and Veterinary Public
Health Programme, Guyana School of Agriculture. spoke via Zoom from New York City and
also shared his story. In his case, there were no predetermining factors for breast cancer in terms
of his family history and age. He would often hear the question “How did you get breast
cancer?” He explained how rare it is for a man to get breast cancer, especially black men. Dr.
Allen said he received a great deal of support once he moved last year from Guyana to America
and endured 12 weeks of chemotherapy to treat his condition. His team of doctors say that he is in a good space health-wise and advises all men to check for early detection and even
mammograms for men to prevent the negative effects of breast cancer.
Clinton Burnside, MPH, speaking via Zoom, gave the closing remarks and a brief history of the
“Men Take Ten” Men’s Health Program at the Howard University Cancer Center. The Men Take
Ten Health Program expanded its support to breast cancer at its inception. Like many of the
speakers and the premise of the event, Burnside encourages men to regularly get checkups to
give room for early detection and cancer prevention. The event was capped off by another
performance by Cecily, who shared her connection with cancer, as her father passed away from
lung cancer a few years ago. Cecily sang an original song entitled “Grow,” with lyrics, “Don’t
you forget that we were born for freedom.” Those words were fitting for this Juneteenth
Celebration and as Dr. Crawford said in his closing prayer, “This is not a close in how we praise
and honor you.” To see the full celebration visit https://youtu.be/JZiJGEjZR_w.
Brian C. Byrd is a recent MBA graduate at Howard University with a concentration in
entrepreneurship. A graduate of North Carolina Central University with a BS in mass
communications, he currently owns Triumphant Visions, LLC, a media company that promotes
positive black lifestyles.