Notice of Dissolution
This website is an archive of what we accomplished since 2015.Brown Skin, Too (BST) committed to the mission of providing education, awareness and prevention of melanoma—the most serious form of skin cancer, and promoting skin wellness and advocacy for people of color for close to 10 years. BST was created in memory of our loved one Tanya A. Haman who succumbed to the disease on December 2, 2015 after a 2-month battle post prognosis.
Through our outreach efforts, especially our signature event “Melanin Bright, Shine the Light, we were able to share Tanya’s melanoma story with countless number of people who may not have known about the impact of this disease.
We armed ourselves with crucial information and made meaningful connections throughout the melanoma community to spur advocacy for people of color. There are still so many unknowns about what truly causes skin cancer and questions around how to frame the right prevention message...especially for people of color. We are proud of the work that we’ve done and will continue to be strong proponents for the organizations and individuals who are working to further awareness, education and research around this disease.
With that, after much consideration, we decided to cease operations as an organization, but continued our commitment to this cause. We established the Tanya A. Haman Melanoma Research Fund through the University of Texas Austin Dell Medical School. While Brown Skin, Too no longer exists, the work continues in the fight against melanoma.
Our assets were distributed among two deserving organizations in memory of Tanya.
The Tanya A. Haman Melanoma Research Fund was funded with an initial contribution of $5,000 towards:
Dr. Ade Adamson, melanoma expert at University of Texas Austin Dell Medical School who is working to eliminate disparities in melanoma. For more information on Dr. Adamson, please visit: https://dellmed.utexas.edu/directory/ade-adamson
Our hope remains the same...that no other parent, sibling, relative, or friend experiences such a loss. What we do know is that research is key and our contribution to this effort will hopefully have a long-lasting impact beyond BST. We will still be in this fight...now as individuals and advocates who will focus on outcomes that will have a broader reach in being able to “move the needle” in this fight.
An additional $3,000 went to establish the Tanya A. Haman Memorial Scholarship Fund at Delaware State University:
As a 1995 graduate of Delaware State University where she received a B.S. in Social Work from the Department of Health & Behavioral Sciences, Tanya sought to further her lifelong purpose and desire to help people. Delaware State University was instrumental in helping her to achieve that goal. This scholarship is established for a student who is seeking the same path.
To our incredible small and mighty Board of Directors, Joan G. Mitchell, Barbara Mitchell-Williams, Wanda T. Pennington, Dr. Candrice R. Heath, Dr. Naana Boakye and Love Congo (Board Member Emeritus, Posthumously), no amount of words could describe how much your dedication and tireless efforts mean to this work. Thank you.
Thank you to all of supporters for your love and encouragement. We could not have done this without you. We will continue to honor Tanya in our own way and celebrate the entirety of her life. There will still be ways in the future to engage with our cause in support of the established funds. More to come...the fight continues in memory of Tanya!
Tereska E. James, President & Founder