Hidden in the Bones: Why Black Communities Are Sounding the Alarm on Multiple Myeloma

In a room filled with testimony, urgency, and truth, one message echoed louder than the rest: listen to your body—and fight to be heard.

At a recent community forum led by Rev. Corine Mack, president of the Charlotte Mecklenburg NAACP, residents gathered to confront a disease many had never fully understood, yet far too many had experienced firsthand—multiple myeloma, a rare but deadly blood cancer disproportionately affecting Black communities.

Rev. Corine Mack (left) and Beverly Kerr (right) advocate for Multiple Myeloma awareness & prevention at the Sarah Stevenson Tuesday Forum on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

A Silent Threat with Disproportionate Impact

Multiple myeloma is a cancer that forms in plasma cells, a type of white blood cell found in bone marrow. While considered relatively rare, Black individuals are twice as likely to be diagnosed with the disease compared to their white counterparts.

Rev. Mack emphasized a critical concern: early symptoms are often dismissed.

“People think it’s just back pain. They think they overworked themselves,” she shared. “But that’s how it starts.”

At a 2025 gathering at Little Rock AME Zion Church, more than 20 individuals stood to share their experiences with the disease—many recounting nearly identical beginnings: persistent back pain, fatigue, or leg aches that were initially ignored or misdiagnosed.

“Faith With Works”: One Woman’s Fight to Survive

For Beverly Kerr, a health educator of over 20 years, the journey to diagnosis was marked by persistence, pain, and spiritual grounding.

Her symptoms began after contracting COVID-19 in 2021. What followed was a slow decline—anemia, severe back pain, and a burning sensation along her spine. Despite repeated visits to healthcare providers, she says her concerns were dismissed.

“I kept pressing my doctor to listen to me,” she said.

It wasn’t until a visit to the emergency room—and a follow-up with a different nurse practitioner—that the truth surfaced: tumors, bone lesions, and a fractured rib caused by cancer weakening her bones.

“I wasn’t thinking about myself,” Kerr recalled. “I was thinking about how many others are ignored and silenced.”

Her diagnosis marked the beginning of an intense treatment journey, including chemotherapy complications, eight tumor removals, and a stem cell transplant at the Mayo Clinic. Today, she is two years in remission.

But survival came at a cost.

The Cost of Survival

Treatment for multiple myeloma is not only physically demanding—it is financially and emotionally taxing.

Kerr’s maintenance medication costs $21,000 every 28 days, with total treatment expenses exceeding $100,000.

The aftermath of treatment includes:

• A weakened immune system requiring full revaccination

• Chronic fatigue and neuropathy

• Ongoing kidney monitoring

• Increased risk of relapse

• Emotional isolation and mental health strain

“You don’t look like what you’re going through,” she said. “And the weight of explaining it to people is a burden.”

A System That Doesn’t Always Listen

Underlying many of the testimonies was a deeper issue: medical bias.

Rev. Mack pointed to longstanding disparities in healthcare, including the harmful belief that Black patients can tolerate more pain—leading to delayed diagnoses and inadequate care.

“It is your responsibility to advocate for yourself first,” she said. “And someone like myself will be the second person to advocate for you.”

This call to action is especially urgent for Black men, who Mack noted are often reluctant to seek medical care—even when symptoms are severe.

Younger Diagnoses, Environmental Questions

While multiple myeloma is typically diagnosed around age 69, community observations suggest a troubling shift.

“At least most of the people in the room were under 40,” Mack shared, referencing recent community findings.

Ongoing environmental studies are exploring potential links to water quality, housing conditions, and food systems—raising broader questions about systemic exposure and long-term health risks.

What to Watch For

Early symptoms of multiple myeloma can be subtle but should not be ignored:

• Persistent back or bone pain

• Extreme fatigue

• Anemia

• Balance issues

• Unexplained fractures

• Frequent infections

Experts and survivors alike stress the importance of routine lab work and understanding your baseline health starting in your 30s.

“Your labs are so critical,” Kerr said. “Make sure your provider actually goes through them with you.”

Beyond Awareness: A Call for Action

The forum concluded not just with awareness—but with intention.

Plans are underway for future forums that will bring physicians into direct dialogue with patients, bridging the gap between lived experience and medical responsibility.

For Kerr, advocacy has become part of her healing.

After sharing her story with the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, she participated in a webinar that became one of their most engaged sessions to date—proof that storytelling can save lives.

The Bottom Line

Multiple myeloma may be a disease of the blood, but its impact runs deeper—into systems, communities, and generational health.

And for those most affected, the message is clear:

Know your body.

Know your numbers.

And never stop advocating for your life.