As a young Black woman diagnosed with ER-positive stage 2 breast cancer in 2015, Marissa Thomas sought out support groups — but the only ones she could find were made up predominantly of older white women. “I knew that women of color were being diagnosed with breast cancer, but I didn’t know where to find them,” she says.
This frustration led Thomas, along with cofounder Jasmine Souers, to create For the Breast of Us (FTBOU) in 2019. The organization fills a need that has long been neglected in the breast cancer community: a place for all women of color — Black, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, and more — who’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer “to find support, connect with other women of color diagnosed with breast cancer, and learn how to advocate for themselves to help eliminate the health disparities that exist for them,” Thomas says.
Its Goal
Thomas, now the sole leader of the organization (Souers left in 2022 to found a different breast cancer nonprofit) remains true to her initial motivation, providing a robust selection of online tools and resources; social media; and community-building events, both online and in person. Ultimately, Thomas and Souers wanted to make it easier for other women of color with breast cancer than it was when they themselves were diagnosed, by providing access to the information and resources necessary to make more informed decisions about their healthcare, as well as the camaraderie of people with similar experiences.
Services It Provides
Their website is a hub of helpful information for the women they like to refer to as Breast Cancer Baddies. Their blog features stories written by people with breast cancer and survivors, and readers can submit a story about their own experiences. People can also learn more about breast surgery and patients’ rights, search clinical trials, read about the latest breast cancer research involving women of color, and find mental health resources on their curated directory of resources.
On their Instagram page @forthebreastofus, they host Instagram Lives on topics like dealing with workplace issues during treatment and navigating relationships after a breast cancer diagnosis. They also produce Baddie 2 Baddie, a podcast in which women share their personal experiences with breast cancer and tips for where to find help. Women of color impacted by breast cancer can join the organization’s private Facebook group Breast Cancer Baddies to connect with its more than 3,300 members.
For the Breast of Us also provides important guidance for those who are not women of color: how to be an ally, adapted from the allyship guide by the political organization Women of Color for Progress (WCP). But instead of using the term “ally,” the organization deliberately uses the word “accomplice.”
“We chose the word ‘accomplice,’ because an ally stands by your side, but an accomplice rolls up their sleeves and does the hard work with you,” Thomas explains. “That is what women of color really need — someone who is willing to do the hard work, have the hard conversations, and help elevate our voices in areas where we are hardly given the opportunity to be heard and seen.”
Events
In 2023, the organization hosted its first large-scale fundraising event, We Run This Sneaker Gala. In March 2023, it also hosted the PMUCon (Permanent MakeUp) — a conference and workshop event that featured skilled permanent makeup artists who presented their techniques to other artists striving to help women of color through makeup.
For the Breast of Us also holds an annual retreat for their Baddie Ambassadors — the 20 women who represent the organization through social media and advocacy. They host local meetups in cities nationwide; a schedule of upcoming events is listed on their website’s events page.
Core Belief
At its core, For the Breast of Us is about community. “It’s by women like you, for women like you,” Thomas says. “It was born out of a need you so badly [have] once you hear the words, ‘You have cancer.’”
