Diahann Caroll is best known for her acting career (spanning around six decades) and she is the first African American woman to star in her own series on American television (Juila), defying stereotypical roles for Black women. Indeed, she is a pioneer, wearing her signature grace and class on and off camera. At the age of 80, she has been through a lot – including breast cancer. Now, she is not only a survivor, but she is also an activist. She strives to inform women of correct information regarding the disease. “So many women believe that as they age, their chance of getting breast cancer is less. It’s exactly the opposite,” revealed the award-winning actress. Having detected her own cancer early, she pleas for women to have yearly mammograms.
Caroll admits, “I was absolutely positive that it would never be a part of my life ever. There was no family history. There was not even dialogue about cancer in my family.” But in 1993, at the age of 58, Caroll was diagnosed with cancer when doctors discovered a small lump in her left breast during a mammogram.
Diahann Caroll: “It’s My Responsibility To Help Them” was originally published on blackdoctor.org
