The Witness Project

The Witness Project is an educational and outreach program of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s Cancer Education Department. It is a culturally competent, community-based, breast and cervical cancer education, outreach program, through which cancer survivors and lay health advisors increase awareness, knowledge, access to screening, and early detection in the African American population in an effort to reduce mortality and morbidity from cancer.

In spite of living in the information age, cancer is still a fearful, stigmatized disease in many rural and minority communities, and people simply don't talk about it. But thanks to The Witness Project, more and more African American women are talking about cancer.

Witness Project programs are presented in churches and community centers by Witness Role Models and Lay Health Advisors. Witness Role Models are African American women who are breast or cervical cancer survivors. Their presence as survivors is seen as a blessing and proof that cancer is not a death sentence. Lay Health Advisors are not cancer survivors themselves, but are women who want to work with the project to organize and publicize programs, network with community people, give facts about breast and cervical cancer, answer questions about available services, and teach Breast Self Examination.

The Witness Project currently has programs in 22 states at 33 different sites. If you are interested in learning more about The Witness Project or would like a program at your church or community organization, please contact the following:

The Witness Project
4301 W. Markham, Dept. 820
Little Rock, AR 72205
1-800- 275-1183
501-661-9603

witnessproject@uams.edu