The Trauma of Black Women and their fight with Ovarian cancer
Jessica Harris, a Black woman, is currently battling ovarian cancer for the second time and believes that the hair relaxers she used as a pre-teen may have caused the disease. Growing up in Wilson, cultural pressures and beauty standards led her to believe that using hair relaxers was necessary. “Since probably I was about 13 or something,” she said.
Now, she is among a growing number of plaintiffs around the country suing beauty brands, such as L’Oreal and Revlon, believing that their products are the source of their diseases. Harris is represented by attorneys MaryAnne Hamilton and Stacy Miller who say that this issue is not just about Black women but also about women in general and the effects of harmful beauty products on women’s health.
Numerous studies have looked at the link between hair relaxers and cancer. One study found that women who used the products “more than four times a year” were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer. “This is clearly an example of putting profits over people,” Miller said. “They’re still selling them today in the face of a potential national recall.”
Harris’s prognosis is unclear, and cancer has made everything in life a battle – from walking to getting into her car. She mourns the time lost doing things she loves – like working as a school counselor and being with her grandkids.
While the lawsuit is likely years from any possible resolution, Harris hopes it can bring change to help save others. “I hope they can make sure the companies that made these relaxers, they put some kind of warning signs, or let Black people know how they can harm them in different ways,” she said. “Make a relaxer that can straighten Black people’s hair, just don’t put harmful chemicals in there.”
It’s clear that the issue of harmful beauty products is not only affecting the health of Black women but also highlighting the need for stronger regulations in the beauty industry to protect consumers.