Ciara wants Black women to "be your best self" with cervical cancer awareness campaign
Ciara is serving facts and "cerving confidence" to Black women across America with a new campaign to encourage them to see their OB/GYN for annual appointments and build awareness of the impact cervical cancer has on Black women.
The Grammy-winning singer, dancer and businesswoman joined "CBS This Morning" on Tuesday to unveil the "Cerving Confidence" initiative, in partnership with Project Health Equality and the Black Women's Health Imperative.
"I want to encourage women to understand the importance in this case how you can serve confidence and get ahead of everything. The cool thing is you can prevent cervical cancer. How amazing is that?" Ciara said Tuesday. "Go out there and make an appointment. Put yourself first, you have to. Putting yourself first is everything. Then you can take off and be your best self in every way possible."
"I want my women to know, especially my Black women to know that self-care is the most important care," she said.
About 2,000 African American women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, with more than 40% dying, according to Jackson Health.
The National Library of Medicine states that Black women are twice as likely to die from cervical cancer as White women.
"All of us women need each other. I think it's also incredible to know the disparities in the Black community and to know how — we really have everything that we need to thrive and survive. Everything we need is rooted in this," Ciara said.
The #CervingConfidence website encourages women to begin pap tests at age 21, and provides resources on the best questions to ask their doctor.
"Making one appointment can be game-changing in your life," Ciara said.
She hopes the campaign will have a worldwide impact.
"I think that's important for us to celebrate that Black joy, the Black beauty within and the strength, and empower my Black women all around the world," she said. "Especially this campaign, I'm excited about the opportunity to do that. I'm excited about the opportunity to impact lives and save lives in this moment. Just so much opportunity here. Everything we need is rooted in us, everything we need."
The powerhouse entertainer and entrepreneur isn't stopping there — she and her husband, NFL quarterback Russell Wilson, are funding a charter school in the Seattle area, where Wilson plays for the Seahawks.
Through the couple's Why Not You Foundation, Wilson and Ciara are contributing nearly $2 million to rebrand an existing charter program known as Cascade Midway Academy. In honor of the donation, the school will be renamed Why Not You Academy.
Ciara said they were both inspired by their own humble beginnings, when they "believed in our dreams and our vision for what we wanted to become."
"It's really important to us to provide the opportunity for other kids like ourselves," she said.
Ciara said visiting the academy was "amazing," including "hearing the kids talk about how proud they were to be founding students of this moment with us and talking about the importance of their future and how hopeful they are."
"We're super driven and super charged to make it happen in every way that we can," she said. "I think the world's going to be a better place if we all continue to just do it together."