WHAT IS MINORITY CANCER AWARENESS WEEK?
April is National Minority Health Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the health disparities that continue to affect racial and ethnic minorities (Office of Minority Health, 2015). The campaign was originally started as “National Negro Health Week” in April 1915 by Booker T. Washington, and has since grown into a month-long opportunity to advance health equity across the U.S. National Minority Cancer Awareness week, also in April, provides an opportunity to raise awareness about cancer disparities among racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. African American men have the highest incidence and death rates from cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2016). In addition, research suggests that despite improvements in life expectancy and overall health, many Americans are not benefiting equally from these advances (CDC, 2016). African Americans and Hispanics in the U.S. are also more likely to be uninsured, making it more difficult for them to access the care they need (Martinez, Ward & Adams, 2015).