Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This week, we honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Had he not been assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39, he would have celebrated his 94th birthday this year. While Dr. King acted as the driving force behind nonviolent resistance to achieve equal rights for Black Americans, he also highlighted injustice in health care. While speaking at the annual meeting of the Medical Committee for Human Rights in 1966, Dr. King noted the following: “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman.”

Today’s disparities may not be as apparent as they were during Dr. King’s time – there are no officially segregated hospitals or physician’s offices. However, significant issues still prevail as Black women are over 40% more likely to die from breast cancer in spite of similar diagnosic rates as white women. Black women are also more likely to be diagnosed at younger ages and at later, more aggressive stages, and they are underrepresented in clinical trials and research. 

On the week of Martin Luther King Day, we highlight this injustice. Koning stands in solidarity to the call for equality in all spheres of life, including health and healthcare. We will not stop until breast cancer takes no more lives.

Learn more about how we are supporting innovation to expand access and end disparities in breast cancer: 

https://www.koninghealth.com/product-solutions/koning-vera-breast-ct