Alarming Facts About African American Women and Breast Cancer

Did you know breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among black women?

Although breast cancer is diagnosed more often for white women, African American women are more likely to die of breast cancer, according to a recent study by the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Specifically, in women under 45, breast cancer is more common in African American women than white women.

Here are a few more facts about breast cancer and the action you can take today:

In 2015 alone, an estimated 231,840 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed, along with 60,290 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer, according to SusanGKomen.org. Many studies indicate these decreases are due to the result of earlier detection through screening, treatment advancements, and increased awareness.

The breast cancer death rate for women aged 45–64 years was 60% higher for black women than white women, according to the CDC National Vital Statistics System.

The median age at diagnosis in African American women is 54 years, compared with a median age of 58 years in white women.

Read more: Alarming Facts About African American Women and Breast Cancer

Why black teachers are leaving urban schools

While the percentage of minority teachers has risen in the US, the number of black teachers has declined between 2002 and 20012 in nine cities, according to a recent study by the Albert Shanker Institute.

What does this mean not only for the communities in which these schools exist, but for the nation as a whole?

“Diversity is a key component to equality and opportunity,” Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, told the Washington Post. “Where there’s a diverse teaching workforce, all kids thrive. That’s why we note with alarm the sharp decline in the population of black teachers in our cities.”

There are several factors which may be behind this decline. The first is low pay for teachers. According to a study by Young Invincibles, an advocacy group, the average starting salary for a teacher is $34,575 – or about $6,000 less than the average starting salary of 28 professions.

The second is the recurring emphasis that education policy tends to place on test scores. This rigidity, argues Nekita Lamour, a Haitian-American and tenured educator, disincentivises black and Hispanic educators from participating in the system: they are not being encouraged to teach their fellow man, but to the test, instead.

The Shanker Institute’s study found that over a ten-year period, from 2002 to 2012 (a period marked by an explosion in the development of charter schools, and an accompanying dialogue about education reform), the population of black teachers declined by as much as 62 percent in the cities studied (although in the case of New Orleans, many black teachers were fired).

“Minority teachers quit because of working conditions in their schools,” Richard Ingersoll, an expert who teaches at the University of Pennsylvania, also told the Washington Post. “In surveys, those teachers cite lack of autonomy and input into school decisions [in large urban schools].”

Read more: Why black teachers are leaving urban schools

John B. King Jr. to become acting U.S. Secretary of Education

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is stepping down from his post in December, he announced Friday. President Barack Obama has already tapped John King Jr., former New York State education commissioner, to take Duncan's place.

King will serve in an acting capacity, meaning he was able to forgo a formal nomination process in the Senate.

King most famously served as the New York State education commissioner from 2011 until 2014. Last year, he moved over to the Department of Education, where he's currently a senior official.

Here are a few points of information about John King:

As Commissioner in New York King was a fierce supporter of the Common Core. He is also a strong advocate of diversity in the classroom, and also has experience in the classroom as a teacher. King was a 1995 Truman Scholar and received the James Madison Memorial Fellowship for secondary-level teaching of American history, American government, and social studies.

Black "Genius Grant" winners

The MacArthur Fellows Program awards unrestricted fellowships (also known as the Genius Grants) to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction. The MacArthur Fellowship is a "no strings attached" award in support of people, not projects. Each fellowship comes with a stipend of $625,000 to the recipient. Of this years 24 winners three were black. Learn more about 2015 MacArthur Fellows, Patrick Awuah, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Latoya Ruby Frazier.

Education Entrepreneur Patrick Awuah, 2015 MacArthur Fellow

Patrick Awuah is an education entrepreneur creating a new model for higher education in Africa that combines training in ethical leadership, a liberal arts tradition, and skills for contemporary African needs and opportunities. Read more: Patrick Awuah

Journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates, 2015 MacArthur Fellow

Ta-Nehisi Coates is a journalist interpreting complex and challenging issues around race and racism through the lens of personal experience and nuanced historical analysis. Read more: Ta-Nehisi Coates

LaToya Ruby Frazier, 2015 MacArthur Fellow

LaToya Ruby Frazier is a Photographer and Video Artist capturing the consequences of postindustrial decline for marginalized communities and illustrating how photography can promote dialogue about historical change and social responsibility. Read more: Latoya Ruby Frazier

Tuskegee Airman Eugene Jackson, 92, dies

A Portland native who belonged to a groundbreaking World War II fighter squadron that helped lead the way toward desegregation of the U.S. military has died.

Eugene B. Jackson, 92, of North Marshfield, Massachusetts, died Sept. 20, according to his close friend and attorney, Paul Kaufman.

Jackson, who was born in Portland and graduated from Portland High School in 1941, served with the Tuskegee Air Squadron during World War II.

Jackson, who maintained the radio and communication equipment on the aircraft flown by the African-American pilots, received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 along with other Tuskegee Airmen.

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