Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is deeply saddened by the recent events in this country and we stand in solidarity with the countless Americans who are bravely and peacefully standing up to longstanding and pervasive racial inequality. A nation founded on the concept of shared values can and must do better.

Inequality is felt across the broadest spectrum of the human experience, including in the realm of health and healthcare. In recent months we have seen how COVID-19 disproportionately impacts communities of color, and black Americans in particular. What many may not realize is that this same inequality also exists in the way patients of color are at increased risk for certain cancers and how limited their access often is to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care.

Last year, Stand Up To Cancer launched our Health Equity Initiative that has set a precedent for increasing diverse participation in cancer clinical trials. This effort addresses the underrepresentation of people of color in the development and testing process for new cancer treatments. Diversity in clinical trials is important to ensure that all cancer patients benefit from these research efforts.

Stand Up To Cancer is rooted in the belief that we are all stronger when we stand together. Through collaboration, our scientific community continues to make incredible progress that is saving more lives. At SU2C, we are committed – through our Health Equity Initiative – to addressing the racial inequality that many cancer patients face. We will continue to prioritize diversity and inclusion across our research and awareness programs as part of our effort to make good on that commitment, so that one day, everyone has the same prospect of becoming a long-term survivor.