®*?* ^lortlanh (Ohserucr
O ctober 12. 2011
Mississippi
Alberta
North Portland
Page 9
Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
Celebrating the Lives of ‘Crowned Jewels’
Photo essay honors
African-American
women impacted by
breast cancer
by M indy C ixiper
T he P ortland O bserver
A s one o f the m ost diagnosed form s o f
cancer know n to individuals throughout the
country, breast cancer, w hich know s no
boundaries, affects m illions o f w om en, m en
and fam ilies every day.
In honor o f B reast C ancer A w areness
M onth, C oncordia U niversity in northeast
P ortland has dedicated itself to bring ed u ca­
tion and aw areness o f the disease to the
com m unity. T his m onth, the college features
the exhibit “C row ned Jew els,” a pictorial
e ss a y o f N o rth w e s t A fric a n -A m e ric a n
w om en w hose lives have been im pacted by
breast cancer.
L ocated throughout the first and third
floors o f the new G eorge R. W hite Library,
the display, created by R eba A llm on in 2006,
has im ages o f 18 N orthw est w om en w earing
their finest hats.
“W hen you go through chem otherapy or
radiation, you generally lose y ou r h air,” said
L ynnette M. Jackson, one o f survivors pic­
tured w ithin the exhibit. “T he hats are part o f
the cro w n s.”
Jackson, w ho w as diagnosed w ith breast
photos by M indy C ixiper TT he P ortland O bserver
cancer in 2003 at the age o f 46, has undergone
Linda Church (left) and Lynnette M. Jackson bring recognition to a photo essay honoring Northwest African-American women
a m astectom y, chem otherapy and several
impacted by breast cancer. The October exhibit is on the first and third floors of the new George R. White Library on
reconstructive surgeries.
Concordia University’s northeast Portland campus.
A lthough there w as no history o f breast
cancer w ithin her fam ily, Jackson said she
E ight-years later and after m any stages o f asked acknow ledges the im portance in con­ take care o f y o u rself and be w ell.”
rem em bers the day she found out som ething
both recovery and discovery, how ever. Jack-
necting a variety o f w om en,” she said.
She said w hen she first heard o f her ill­
m ight be w rong w hen h er nurse practitioner,
son said, “she is truly grateful and thankful
A ccording to Jack so n , the heightened
ness, she realized a p erson can e ith er retreat
at h er annual gynecological checkup, n o ­
for the en co u n ter.”
aw areness about breast can cer is im portant.
o r speak out. “ I chose to speak ou t to m en
ticed her areola looked pronounced.
“ I’ve been blessed w ith a new apprecia­
“As A frican A m ericans, we have a ten ­ and w om en, and not ju s t A frican A m ericans,
A fter she im m ediately arranged for a m am ­
tion for life,” she said.
dency to not seek preventative health m ain ­ but ev ery o n e.”
m ogram and biopsy, m edical professionals
Jackson said she is excited to be a part o f the
tenance,” she said. “ So m y thing is, it is okay
T his w eek a reception event o f the art
soon diagnosed h er w ith breast cancer. “ I exhibit and one o f the A frican-A m erican ladies
to w ant to know to be prepared, be aw are and
continued
on page ¡4
w as in shock,” she said.
highlighted to be a crow ned jew el. “Just being
equipped w ith the know ledge ultim ately to
■ k
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Author Sends Message of Hope
Survivor writes on power to rescue yourself
by M indy C ooper
Leon McCoy
T he P ortland O bserver
As econom ic insecurity and hope­
lessness spread like wildfire through­
out the country, one Portland resi­
dent sends a m essage o f hope with
his new book False Im ages, which
follow s the authors’ journey o f self-
discovery and aw areness during
tim es o f hardship.
L eon M cC oy, w ho has lived in
P ortland for 17-years, said he is a
survivor o f incarceration, drug ad ­
A lthough the creatio n o f his
diction, sexual m olestation, p o v ­ book, False Im ages, w hich w as re ­
erty and violent crim e.
leased last m onth, w asn ’t som e­
A fter years, how ever, o f feeling thing he had alw ays planned to
pow erless to change, he said he achieve, he said the w ords began
rem em bers the m om ent w hen he to pour out o f him very suddenly
re a liz e d he p o sse sse d h is ow n one night w hile he sat on his couch,
p o w er to rescue him self.
w here he decided to turn w ithin
“T h ere is alw ays hope,” said h im self for a truth that could reco n ­
M cC oy. “N o m atter w hat a person cile the issues he w as facing.
is experiencing o r w here they are in
continued
on page 14
life— there is alw ays h o p e.”