Cancer Survivor, Erica Hart Boldly Goes Nude To Boost Morale Of Cancer Victims

African American woman, Ericka Hart has revealed her mastectomy to the world with the hope of boosting the morale of women suffering from breast cancer across the world.

According to reports from Afropunk, the proud 30-year-old sexuality educator was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. To raise awareness and provide visibility for Black women who are battling with or have battled breast cancer, Ericka attended this year’s Afropunk Fest in Brooklyn topless revealing her double mastectomy scars.

Sadly, this wasn’t the first time Ericka came face to face with the disease. Breast cancer claimed the life of her mother when Ericka was just 13-year-old.

Following her courageous move which caught the attention of the festival’s attendees and photographers, it wasn’t long before her photo and story went viral.

”Punk to me means standing in your truth and resisting white supremacist, patriarchal notions of existence. I wanted people to see me such that they saw themselves, their mothers, lovers and friends,” Ericka noted in her Afropunk blog.

It was also gathered from a recent study that “The black-white disparity in breast cancer death rates has increased over time; by 2012, death rates were 42% higher in black women than white women.”

The trend is expected to continue. That same study also claimed that “Black women are more likely than other racial/ethnic groups to be diagnosed at later stages.”

Despite these dire facts, the face of breast cancer survivors tend to be white. As a black, queer survivor, Ericka was determined to show the world that “We exist.”

Ericka Hart is not only a breast cancer survivor, she is a breast cancer warrior. The decision to share her scars and her story are a true testament of her #BlackGirlMagic.

“I wanted people to see a breast cancer survivor as not only a warrior, but as sexy (AF)!”

Her advice to women— particularly women of color, who are, or will be going through the same thing that she went through:

”It is ok if you never want to wear pink, show your chest/breast scars, raise your fist in the air, do a breast cancer walk, etc. You are a walking resistance to the tiny morbid conversation that most have of breast cancer. You got this. Rest. Don’t settle for poor care. Ask for what you need even if you think it might not exist.”

Photo credit: Eric LaCour