Who We Are
Mortality is the prevailing narrative for African American women and breast cancer. There are no pink ribbon parties or rallying cries of defiance. For Black women diagnosed with breast cancer, there is a looming cloud that you are more likely to die from this disease because no one is unapologetically doing everything to save you, except you.
This is the charge of Elevated Survivorship.
Elevated Survivorship (ES) is a national 501c3 nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to and in service of African American breast cancer survivors and metavivors. Founded by breast cancer survivor, Angela K. Waller, MA, ES is forging its path as the brand authority on all things related to African American breast cancer survivorship.
Our Mission
To provide a platform for African American breast cancer survivors to use their voices to drive health system change globally.
Our Vision
Is the inclusion of informed African American voices in policy, research and advocacy at all levels across the cancer continuum, which will create a more equitable healthcare system and change the narrative on breast cancer mortality.
Elevated Survivorship provides a comprehensive training curriculum to help survivors shape their survivor stories. Core training topics include the following:
Learning the Language: Key Concepts and Terminology Pertinent in the Cancer Field.
- Civics 1.0: How Change is Made
- Advocacy 1.0: How Can I Impact Change
- Issues in Cancer Care: Factors Facilitating Disparities for African American Survivors
- Advocacy 2.0: Creating Your Platform
Additional topics will include storytelling, writing policy briefs, and clinical trials. The trainings will be provided via in-person and virtual classes. The organization will also maintain a comprehensive repository of online and printed education materials and supplemental educational opportunities.
Elevated Survivorship has establish a platform to actively engage in legislative advocacy to inform and shape cancer research and policy to be more responsive and inclusive of Black women. Elevated Survivorship will influence policy through the dissemination of Op Eds and position statements as well as convening all local and national breast cancer groups for collective advocacy campaigns.
All forms of education provided by Elevated Survivorship will play a role in developing the survivor as a "Patient Advocate", specialized in health care concerned with advocacy for patients, survivors, and caregivers. Elevated Survivors will be able to briefly and brilliantly S.P.I.T (Specific, Personal, Informative and Timely) on their cancer journey as well as pertinent policy issues.
S.P.I.T: Specific, Personal, Informative and Timely
Once a woman has completed core training, Elevated Survivorship patient advocates will be able to participate on research review panels such as the Department of Defense's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, to apply to National Breast Cancer Coalition's Project L.E.A.D. training program, to engage legislators, and to tell her story. She will be able to have her own platform to advance issues that will impact system change.
Elevated Survivorship will establish a pipeline of informed patient advocates that are prepared to be competitively engaged at all levels of the cancer continuum. The organization will curate opportunities for survivors to leverage what they have learned with other organizations and stakeholders.
Building capacity for African American breast cancer survivors in cancer research Collaborators: Angela K. Waller, MA and Marcia M. Tan, PhD, MPH
Elevated Survivorship has partnered with the Community Health Allies Training (C.H.A.T.) lab at the University of Chicago to develop strategies to build capacity for African American breast cancer survivors to engage in research and advocacy. The C.H.A.T. lab is dedicated to researching cancer prevention strategies among underserved populations, using community-engaged methodologies. The C.H.A.T. lab works with community health workers, allied health professionals, and other lay workers to develop trainings and health education modules that are accessible and relevant to them and the patients they serve. Funding provided by the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center.
angela k. waller
Founder/CEO
Angela K. Waller was diagnosed with breast cancer at 34 and is dedicated to educating women of color about the importance of overall breast health and the empowerment of patient advocates which compelled her to start the nonprofit, Elevated Survivorship (ES). ES has a vision for the inclusion of informed African American voices in policy, research, and advocacy at all levels across the cancer continuum, which will create a more equitable healthcare system and change the narrative on breast cancer mortality. Angela has spent the past two decades in community and government relations in the healthcare industry. She also serves as Vice President/Chef consultant for Catering Out The Box, LLC. She has a heart for service and currently serves as co-chair of the Austin Coming Together board and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. A culinary school graduate and foodie, she loves to cook, bake, and dine out. She resides in Chicago with her husband Anthony B. Waller, president of Catering Out The Box, LLC., a full-service catering company. She received her B.S. degree in Mass Communication/Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Political Science from Jackson State University, her M.A. degree in Communications & Training/Communication Studies from Governors State University and holds a certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Loyola University.