Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the Black community, and we need to be about helping to save these lives. Today’s guest, Starla Gay, believes that she was born a community health advocate because she has been standing up for what is right since childhood! Starla is a health insurance specialist, community health activist, and BLACC activist. In this conversation, you’ll hear about Starla’s life and what led her to her career, what BLACC is and what they do, and a little bit about their Peer Navigation Research Project. We delve into the importance of a peer navigator before hearing about their partnership with Stanford and what they learned from it. Finally, Starla tells us how we can support BLACC. Thanks for tuning in!

Key Points from This Episode:

• An overview of today’s impressive guest, Starla Gay.

• Starla tells us how she became a community health advocate.

• What BLACC stands for, what they do, and their research study.

• What a peer navigator does and why they are so important.

• Starla shares what it’s been like to partner with Stanford.

• What the public can do to support BLACC and this project.

Quotes:

“Even though Black women experience breast cancer at a lower rate than white women, — we die from it far more often, we get far more aggressive and deadly forms, [and] we tend to discover the breast cancer at a later stage.” — Starla Gay [0:15:15]

“We’re trying to spread the work that we’re doing and our relationship with Stanford has really made that possible.” — Starla Gay [0:23:23]

“This work is so important because we are trying to save the lives of Black women.” — Starla Gay [0:24:58]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Starla Gay on LinkedIn

Starla Gay on Instagram

BLACC

Peer Navigation Program Recruitment

Charlotte Maxwell Clinic
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute