We were lucky to catch up with Vina Morris recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Vina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

AfroPink’s mission is personal for me because it grew out of my own story. I’m a two-time breast cancer survivor, and walking through that journey showed me firsthand how much our community carries—late diagnoses, lack of information, limited access, and sometimes silence around the topic altogether. It wasn’t just something I read in a report; it was my reality, and the reality of people I love.

That’s why AfroPink exists. We don’t wait for people to come find us in a clinic or hospital. We show up in the places that already matter to our community—barbershops, beauty salons, churches, block parties. We bring screenings, resources, and conversations right into everyday life because early detection shouldn’t depend on privilege, it should be part of our culture.

This mission matters because it changes outcomes. When someone pulls me aside and says, “I scheduled my mammogram because of AfroPink,” I know this work is saving lives. But it’s also about more than the screenings. It’s about letting survivors feel seen, helping families feel supported, and shifting the narrative from fear to resilience.

For me, AfroPink is a promise—that our community will not just survive breast cancer, but have the tools, knowledge, and support to thrive beyond it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Vina Morris, and if you ask me how I got into this work, the truth is—I didn’t choose it, it chose me. I was diagnosed with breast cancer not once, but twice. Those experiences shook my world, but they also gave me a new perspective. I realized that too often, our community is left out of the conversation when it comes to health and early detection. That reality lit a fire in me. AfroPink was born out of both survival and determination—I wanted to turn what I had gone through into something bigger than me, something that would change outcomes for others.

AfroPink is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing breast cancer awareness, education, and resources directly into the community. We don’t wait for people to come to us—we show up where they already are. Through our signature Pink Pop-Up Program, we partner with local organizations to host events in places like churches, community centers, beauty salons, and even ice cream shops. We offer on-site breast scans, health education, mental health resources, and lived-experience storytelling to make sure no one feels alone in this journey. We also host annual events like the Pink Party on the Plaza and the Pink Walk, which not only celebrate survivorship but also provide real-time screenings and health resources.

What sets AfroPink apart is that we see breast cancer as more than a medical issue—it’s a community issue. We talk openly about disparities in Black health, and we create safe spaces where those conversations can happen without shame or fear. We focus not just on survival, but on what it means to thrive beyond a diagnosis. Our work is about dignity, empowerment, and rewriting the story of what breast cancer looks like in our community.

I am most proud of the moments when our impact becomes personal: when someone tells me they scheduled a mammogram because they saw us at a pop-up, when a survivor hugs me after an event and says they finally feel understood, when families tell me AfroPink gave them the language to have conversations they never thought they could have. Those moments are why I do this work.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about AfroPink, it’s this: breast cancer is not a death sentence, and you don’t have to face it alone. We’re here to educate, empower, and walk with you—because when awareness meets action, lives are saved.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One story that stands out from my journey happened during my second diagnosis. The first time I went through breast cancer, I thought it was something I could fight, finish, and then move on from. When it came back, I felt like the ground disappeared beneath me. I remember sitting in my doctor’s office, hearing the words, “It’s back,” and for a split second, I thought, How do I do this again?

But then something shifted. I heard my mother’s voice in my head—she always told me, “Trouble don’t last long.” That reminder grounded me. I decided right then that I wasn’t going to let this diagnosis define me. Instead, I was going to define it. I kept showing up for my job in technology leadership, I kept pouring into my community, and I started building AfroPink so others wouldn’t have to feel as alone as I once did.

Resilience for me hasn’t been about pretending things were easy—it’s been about choosing to keep moving even when they weren’t. I leaned on faith, family, and the belief that my story wasn’t just about surviving, but about creating something greater on the other side of struggle. AfroPink is a direct reflection of that resilience: it’s the proof that even in the hardest chapters, something powerful can be born.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The biggest pivot in my life came after my breast cancer diagnoses. For more than two decades, my career was rooted in technology leadership—running major projects, managing global teams, building strategies for organizations. I loved the work, and I thought I knew exactly what my path would look like. But cancer forced me to pause and ask myself: Am I living with purpose?

That question changed everything. Instead of just going back to “business as usual,” I decided to create AfroPink. It was a complete pivot—taking the skills I had in project management, strategy, and technology, and applying them to building a nonprofit focused on health equity and awareness in the Black community. It wasn’t the plan I had written for my life, but it became the mission I couldn’t walk away from.

That pivot taught me something important: sometimes disruption creates clarity. What felt like a setback ended up being a turning point. Today, I still work in technology leadership, but my purpose is broader. AfroPink allows me to use every part of my story—professional and personal—to help others. That pivot turned pain into power, and survival into a platform for change.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.afropink.org
• Instagram: @afropinkinc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/vinamorris