Elizabeth A. Williams, Ph.D., associate director of minority affairs for the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, writes about the importance of health awareness and advocacy for women of color.

I make a habit of surrounding myself with images of people who look like me, especially women of color.

I do it for several reasons. One, it affirms that these women matter. It is also a response to what I often do not see. That is the faces, voices and experiences of women of color in meaningful mainstream discussions, namely regarding health. Bearing the undue burden of many health challenges, women of color and their health largely go unnoticed, rendered socially invisible. What an interesting paradox — to be present and suffering, yet simultaneously missing from the public's consciousness. Making the health of women of color visible in the public's mind is one good way to eliminate health disparities. Why? To eliminate a challenge you must first recognize that it is an issue.

Read the full article in the Tenneessean.