"Artist’s statement: For centuries, hair has been critical to how human beings understand racial categories, gender designations, and class status. For Black women in particular, hair has and continues to be tied to ethnic identity and a history of self-determination, social justice, and survival. Thus, chemotherapy-induced hair loss is a devastating event for Black patients who are also more likely to be diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer subtypes necessitating chemotherapy, carrying a 40% increased risk of dying from breast cancer.
Redefining the ‘crown’: Approaching chemotherapy-induced alopecia among Black patients with breast cancer” started as a manuscript published in the scientific journal Cancer. But the work could not stop there. “Redefining the Crown” then metamorphosed into a photo essay project aimed at exploring the breast cancer journeys of six Black women and their experiences with hair loss due to chemotherapy. Though the project centers the experience of Black women, we also acknowledge that breast cancer and chemotherapy-induced alopecia impact individuals of all genders. While the goal is to illuminate the unique stories of Black women who are affected uncommonly by this common disease, the project is also a call to action regarding the disproportionate breast cancer-related mortality facing Black communities.
In this portraiture series, photographer Tafari Stevenson-Howard captures the intimate journeys of Ann Chatman, Tanisha Kennedy, Felecia McDaniel, Shantell Elaine McCoy, Tamara Lynn Myles, and Veleria Banks. This exhibition examines how these women have navigated the profound impact of hair loss caused by chemotherapy and how their sense of cultural pride and personal identity have been redefined amidst their battles with breast cancer.
These survivors have redefined their own crowns. More profound than the new hairstyles they don after hair loss are the invisible crowns that they choose to wear each day: gratitude, faith, and resilience. What do their words mean to you? Do they empower you to act?
Artist’s name: Versha Pleasant
Work Title: Image 2
Date of creation: September 2024
Artist’s statement: Photo by Tafari Stevenson-Howard"
Redefining the ‘crown’: Approaching chemotherapy-induced alopecia among Black patients with breast cancer” started as a manuscript published in the scientific journal Cancer. But the work could not stop there. “Redefining the Crown” then metamorphosed into a photo essay project aimed at exploring the breast cancer journeys of six Black women and their experiences with hair loss due to chemotherapy. Though the project centers the experience of Black women, we also acknowledge that breast cancer and chemotherapy-induced alopecia impact individuals of all genders. While the goal is to illuminate the unique stories of Black women who are affected uncommonly by this common disease, the project is also a call to action regarding the disproportionate breast cancer-related mortality facing Black communities.
In this portraiture series, photographer Tafari Stevenson-Howard captures the intimate journeys of Ann Chatman, Tanisha Kennedy, Felecia McDaniel, Shantell Elaine McCoy, Tamara Lynn Myles, and Veleria Banks. This exhibition examines how these women have navigated the profound impact of hair loss caused by chemotherapy and how their sense of cultural pride and personal identity have been redefined amidst their battles with breast cancer.
These survivors have redefined their own crowns. More profound than the new hairstyles they don after hair loss are the invisible crowns that they choose to wear each day: gratitude, faith, and resilience. What do their words mean to you? Do they empower you to act?
Artist’s name: Versha Pleasant
Work Title: Image 2
Date of creation: September 2024
Artist’s statement: Photo by Tafari Stevenson-Howard"
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