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Mobile mammography unit reaching hundreds of women in under-served communities

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority chapters will partner with clinics, hospitals, and rural health centers to emphasize the need for black women to get regular mammograms

MEMPHIS, Tennessee —

One sorority is taking pink to a whole new level: on wheels. Weeknight Anchor Katina Rankin has Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated's contribution to fighting breast cancer. It's local good news.

If you see a pink bus with green ivy on it rolling around a city near you, it's the AKA's 'supermobile' ready to fight breast cancer in under-served communities.

Okay, it's actually the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority mobile mammography unit. And women, if you need a little assistance, they are looking for you. They're looking to give uninsured ladies a mammogram.

"Cancer, I think, has affected almost everybody's life, whether it's you personally, a friend, a family member -- somebody has cancer and to bring it a little closer, breast cancer," said AKA International President Dr. Glenda Glover.

AKA is trying to reach 100,000 women. Their different chapters will partner with local clinics, hospitals, even rural health centers to emphasize the need for black women to receive and get regular mammograms.

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"In the African American community and other minorities we don't get the treatment.  We don't look at the needs for mammograms until later on in the disease process, and at that point it's too late," said Dr. Glover.

International President and Memphis native Dr. Glenda Glover says over the past 112 years, the sorority has implemented several original and groundbreaking programs to improve the lives of women across the globe.

"It has been phenomenal. We have done over 700 mammograms. These are under-served populations. Mammograms in under-served populations where they can't afford to have a mammogram done," said Dr. Glover.

And the sorority's service to all mankind is local good news.

Once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, don't be surprised to see the mammography mobile unit rolling around a neighborhood near you.

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