WNYC/PRI’s The Takeaway launches series on black women & cancer

WNYC and PRI’s The Takeaway Launches

"Under Her Skin: Living With Breast Cancer"

Three African-American women share their cancer journeys through audio diaries

Series launches Monday, July 7 on WNYC, www.thetakeaway.org,

and public radio stations nationally

(New York, NY—July 7, 2014) Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent diseases afflicting women in the US, and The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 40,000 American women will die from the disease in 2014 alone. As devastating as these numbers are, the statistics regarding breast cancer and race are more dire: a recent analysis reveals that African-American women are on average 40 percent more likely to die of breast cancer than their white counterparts.

Today, THE TAKEAWAY, a national news program from Public Radio International and WNYC, launches “Under Her Skin: Living with Breast Cancer,” an intimate, first-person look at the faces behind the jarring statistics. In this six-month long series, three African-American women diagnosed with the disease will document their experiences—their private thoughts and anxieties, doctors’ visits, chemotherapy treatments, family gatherings—in audio diaries that will air every two weeks on THE TAKEAWAY.

The women sharing their stories are:

Lisa Echols, a 46-year-old technician from Memphis, Tennessee, diagnosed in December of 2013 upon receiving her yearly mammogram
Crystal Miller, a 28-year-old nurse from New York City, diagnosed in December 2013 after finding a lump in her breast
Anita Coleman, a 54-year-old woman from Los Angeles, diagnosed for a second time in February 2014 after successfully fighting breast cancer in 2001

The first week of “Under Her Skin” will begin with interviews between THE TAKEAWAY host John Hockenberry and Echols, Miller and Coleman. Hockenberry will also speak with Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph, Assistant Professor of Surgery and Director of Breast Services at Bellevue Hospital, about the complex reasons why such racial disparities exist. The women’s audio diaries will air bi-weekly; extended footage from the audio diaries, as well as a timeline of each woman’s progress, will be available on www.thetakeaway.org. A special “Under Her Skin” Facebook group will provide a virtual community for women and their families to share their own stories and connect with others coping with breast cancer and its consequences.

The Takeaway airs weekdays on WNYC at 9am on AM 820 and at 3pm on 93.9 FM, as well as on public radio stations nationwide; check local listings.

The Takeaway is an hour-long national news program that relies on the contributions of listeners across the country to deliver the perspectives and analysis you need to understand the day’s news. Host John Hockenberry convenes conversations with both newsmakers and diverse voices, and brings in news leaders from producing partners, The New York Times and WGBH Boston, inviting you to learn more. Be a part of the American conversation on-air and online here at TheTakeaway.org. The Takeaway is a unique partnership of global news leaders. It is a co-production of PRI (Public Radio International) and WNYC Radio in collaboration with The New York Times and WGBH Boston.

New York Public Radio is New York’s premier public radio franchise, comprising WNYC, WQXR, The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, and New Jersey Public Radio, as well as www.wnyc.org, www.wqxr.org, www.thegreenespace.org and www.njpublicradio.org. As America's most listened-to AM/FM news and talk public radio stations, reaching 1.1 million listeners every week, WNYC extends New York City's cultural riches to the entire country on-air and online, and presents the best national offerings from networks NPR, Public Radio International, American Public Media, and the British Broadcasting Company. WQXR is New York City's sole 24-hour classical music station, presenting new and landmark classical recordings as well as live concerts from the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and Carnegie Hall, among other New York City venues, immersing listeners in the city's rich usical life. In addition to its audio content, WNYC and WQXR produce content for live, radio and web audiences from The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, the station's street-level multipurpose, multiplatform broadcast studio and performance space. New Jersey Public Radio extends WNYC’s reach and service more deeply into New Jersey. For more information about New York Public Radio, visit www.nypublicradio.org.

At Public Radio International, we believe sharing powerful stories, encouraging exploration, and connecting people and cultures will effect positive change in the world. By building a deeper awareness and understanding of the world's peoples, conditions, issues and events, we enable others to form their own opinions, share their knowledge and creativity, and take informed actions on issues that matter to them.

Partnering with public media's most talented producers and hosts, we offer distinctly global voices on “PRI's The World®" and CBC shows like "As it Happens" and "Q with Jian Ghomeshi." We cultivate conversations representing diverse viewpoints on “The Takeaway,” “To the Point,” and "The Tavis Smiley Show." We present voices of culture, contemporary American life and artistry on "Studio 360® from PRI and WNYC" and through PRI’s SoundWorks podcast network. And we provide decidedly informative takes on science with "Science Friday.” PRI’s content is available on almost 900 public radio stations nationwide, at www.pri.org, and through various online platforms. For more information about Public Radio International, visit www.pri.org.

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