4 Black Women Story Makers

MAGAZINE

BLACK PEPPER MAR 2020

Story Makers

4 WOMEN YOU NEED TO KNOW

SERIES LEAD OF SYFY’S VAGRANT QUEEN

ADRIYAN RAE

CONTENT 06 16 The Global Impact of the Pandemic by Rosalyn L. Farmer

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3 Tech Companies You Might Invest In A Letter to the Era of the Woman Selfmade : Karen Glave.

What to Read, Watch & Listen to during this time Monique Rose : Wonderwoman

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COVER STORY

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Can She Cure Cancer In Just 15 Days ? Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green is changing the way cancer is treated. Find out about her technology today

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i and welcome back to Black Pepper Magazine March Issue. Due to this global pandemic going on, a lot of plans need to be cancelled for now . But this is not the reason why I’m writing to you. The reason why I’m proud to unveil the cover star for this month , is because I’m just thankful for all the opportunities to work with talented black people. This issue is a very special one, because for every purchase you make such as a print copy, you’re donating to the Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation. We believe in Dr. Green’s dream. We believe in the future of Adriyan Rae. We believe in Karen Glave and Monique Rose. All these 4 women, who you should check it out ! I hope that you will enjoy reading this issue.

Stay safe, Amina Jealinho

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THE BLACK SWAN EVENT A

black swan is by definition an unpredictable event that is beyond what is normally expected of a situation and has potentially severe consequences. It is characterized by their extreme rarity, their severe impact, and the widespread insistence they were obvious in hindsight. The black swan can cause catastrophic damage to an economy . Besides that, the term was popularized by former Wall Street trader Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

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et’s take the 2008 Global Financial Crisis as an example. The Global Financial Crisis in 2008 caused Lehman Brothers to file for bankruptcy- the largest bankruptcy filing in US history. Over 25,000 Lehman employees went jobless and more than $46 billion of Lehman’s market value was wiped out. Another example of a black swan event : Brexit.

In june 2016, news of the British referendum’s decision to leave the European Union caught many by surprise. It caused the British pound to drop to a 31-year low against the US dollar. The Brexit vote wiped out nearly $2 trillion of value in global markets. The question is now, is Coronavirus a black swan event ? Maybe. Let’s take a look...

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THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC : CORONAVIRUS A public health crisis has unique impacts on the economy and worker economic security. First, it hits supply and demand simultaneously and across many markets and regions. Consumers may be afraid to shop or go to entertainment venues. Workers may be unable to work if workplaces, schools, or child care centers are shut down, or if they are sick or exposed to the virus. Supply chains are disrupted, limiting production. Overall growth and business confidence can crater. The economy has grind to a near-halt in heavily affected industries and geographic areas owing to the need to quarantine to stop the pandemic.

This economic fallout is similar to a natural disaster, whereby businesses and people have little control over whether they will be affected by the virus and its economic ripple effects. It is also made worse by spillover effects such as credit market disruptions, misinformation, and herd behavior that make it look like a financial crisis. In the case of COVID-19, add in the racism arising from the disease’s origin in Asia, and businesses in U.S. Chinatowns have already seen disproportionate and undeserving economic hits. With its fewer resources, rural America is hit as well.

As with both natural disasters and financial crises, addressing the underlying problem is essential to getting the rest of the economy going again. For a natural disaster, the physical environment has to be safe enough to rebuild. For a financial crisis, the risk of bank and credit market runs have to be removed, and bad debt has to be recognized so that people and businesses can get access to credit again when they need it. In this case, this means that governments, especially at the state and local level, will need to do whatever they can to contain the public health crisis and manage the economic knock-on effects. A wide range of additional work will need to be considered at every level of government to confront supply chain shortages and boost economic and public healthy resiliency.

As the economy rapidly shuts down, many small businesses around the country are on the verge of collapsing. They have a message for the federal government: Please send money fast or we’ll be out of business. After the financial crisis hit in 2008, millions of Americans who worked at small businesses lost their jobs. It happened in just a matter of months. That’s because many smaller businesses operate kind of like people who live paycheck to paycheck, without much savings. The coronavirus pandemic is turning economies and our daily lives upside down. Some larger companies that provide home entertainment, hand sanitizers, delivery services, pharmaceutical research and even toilet paper (who would’ve guessed?) are poised to take advantage. But it’s not just these large companies that are benefiting and looking for ways to help.

Think about how you can improve your cleaning procedures to protect your business. To ensure your business is squeaky clean. Take Advantage Of Federal Relief. The coronavirus is making a huge dent in the business world and economy. But, there’s no need to panic because small business relief is on the way!

Written by Rosalyn L. Farmer

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YOU MAY WANT TO INVEST IN THESE 3 TECH COMPANIES I would suggest investing in Tech companies. After this pandemic, the new era of tech will flourish like never before. I am talking about Artificial Intelligence. I’ve done some deep and long nights researches for the January Issue. I highly recommend to read the January Issue where the article was based on researches by *McKinsey | The impact of Artificial Intelligence* . A lot of jobs will be replaced due to A.I and Automation in the next 10-20 years. How can you profit from this current global market ? Financial literacy. You have plenty of time to invest in your brain. In the long run, it will benefit your family and yourself. Based on my research & trusted source, the stock exchanges to look at right now are :

1. For example stocks like Big Data companies that simplifies Data analytics ALTERYX INC (AYX)

2. Speech recognition software that will facilitate long hours of typing. For example NUANCE Communications (NUAN)

3. Artificial Intelligence of industrial image processing softwares like COGNEX Corporation (CGNX)

Those are the 3 tech companies of the future that are estimated to explode in a rapid pace for the next 5 years. How much can I invest now ? Absolutely not a fortune.

From as low as $50 to $2000 . Now it’s up to you to observe and decide . Are you a risktaker ?

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R E T T A LE HE TO T

ERA OF THE WOMAN

Woman which I prefer to refer to her as Demi-female.She is gracefully made up of strength and compassion. Women are a very important part of history and the future. Women are the life force of the earth. She creates and heals! Gaia(Mother Earth) centers the earth Google defines Gaia as the ancestral mother of all life: the primal Mother Earth goddess. She is the mother of Uranus (the sky), from whose sexual union she bore the Titans (themselves parents of many of the Olympian gods) and the Giants, and of Pontus (the sea), from whose union she bore the primordial sea gods. Demi is she both man and woman a very powerful force to humanity. For instance have you heard of Marie Curie well she is the first woman of science. Marie discovered two elements and was the first woman recognized to won two noble peace prizes. One in 1903 then her second in 1911. Or what about Rebecca Lee Crumpler the first African American woman physician and author. Rebecca wanted to relieve the suffering of others. It’s safe to say she wanted to be a healer. In 1864 she graduated from New England Female medical college. Crumpler went on to publish her Book of Medical Discourses, published in 1883. Both women were earth healers commissioned to help others no matter the obstacles that were ahead. Women are Sheros (she who is a hero) a very important piece to How America will heal.

So I salute you Demi-female the world needs your healing power and wisdom to guide us through.

Love, LaLa

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selfmade KAren glave Her story is valuable. Her story of success is not only in acting but also in accepting who she is. It took some time like a flower growing out from the dirt. It blooms into something beautiful. She didn’t avoid the light, matter of fact, she walked through the light and became the light. Like Madam C.J Walker she succeeded . Who is ‘she’ ? Karen Glave a canadian actress who plays the role of ‘Peggie Prosser’ in the new Netflix four episode mini-series “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker”.

You may know her also from “The Day After Tomorrow,” “The Shape of Water,” and “The Handmaid’s Tale”.

Following this project, Karen will next be seen in a recurring role for the critically acclaimed Starz series upcoming third season of AMERICAN GODS. In the future we might see her traveling around the world filming projects that continues to inspire and entertain you. One thing for sure, she will not compromise anything in exchange of her purpose.

For those who haven’t heard from Karen Glave by now, here is a glimpse of her success story.

“Believe in yourself

and what you’re here to offer. Follow your own path, your own timeline. Don’t bother trying to compare or catch up to anyone else on their own path. Yours is uniquely designed for you. Trust your own process” MAGAZINE

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of 4 women you need to know

How long have you been acting?

Wow. Professionally, it’s been over twenty years now.

Right out of theater school I was doing Shakespeare in the Park, then more theater, then I started booking TV and Film gigs. My path has been a slow and gradual process

Who was little Karen, how did she view the world ?

Ha! Very inquisitive, sometimes a little mischievous, head in the clouds at times. I had a kind of sheltered upbringing so I was curious to see what was out there in the world. I did a lot of daydreaming

The mini-series of “ Selfmade” touched on some sensitive topics for the black woman . One that stood out the most and was the brutal reality, is the beauty standards. Have you always been loving the way you are or did you experience any inner conflicts that you’re not beautiful?

Learning to love the way I am, again, has been a gradual process, but I’m here now! I remember feeling self-conscious about my dark skin or hearing the term “good hair” and not feeling noticed, yet I knew deep down being made to feel that way wasn’t right. I remember before I went to theater school, I went to this modelling agency in Toronto to see if they would take me on and train me. I was sitting opposite this pristine blonde lady, who after talking about the classes I could take, casually said “If you were only a shade lighter…”, all with a calm smile on her face. Even at a young age I knew, this doesn’t feel right, and never went back. We come in all shades and all sizes and we are BEAUTIFUL!

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What part of you, do you like the most and why ? There’s nothing wrong to brag a bit about yourself You know, I like my nose and the beauty mark that’s right smack dab in the middle of it. It’s me; it defines me. When I was in high school, I was trying to use makeup to hide it, or shadowing to make my nose look smaller. Now I love it. It’s the nose my mom and dad gave me. They made me. I’m proud of it How do you stay motivated and focused when life is throwing bricks at you?

Meditation/Prayer, working out with my trainer or on my own, and yoga. I have a very active mind that can cause anxiety at times so I need things to ground me. I’m also a big fan of therapy. It helps to have a safe place to talk about what’s stressing me out. I also having a tight group of friends that have my back, that helps What does the legacy of Madam C.J Walker mean to you ?

It means, never giving up on yourself and your dreams. It means believing in yourself and then empowering others to believe in themselves. She wanted to not only succeed herself but also empower other Black women

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nother week of social distancing. Tik Tok is getting boring, all the snacks in your belly and you don’t even know what day it is today. For introverts nothing have changed, for ambiverts the focus is on something else, and for the extroverts the worst nightmare. But don’t lose hope, we have 3 types of good and healthy distraction.

The first suggestion is, the novel by Ta-Nehisi Coates THE WATER DANCER. It’s absolutely our fave book right now.

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he podcast DEADASS with the hilarious couple Khadeen and Devale Ellis is worth listening, trust me, their podcast is not boring, but educative, reflective and entertaining.

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n african series , QUEEN SONO . It narrates the political situation, exploitation and a mission of the so called, Queen Sono. We absolutely love this series. Something different and refreshing to see.

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WHAT TO WATCH, READ & LISTEN TO DURING SOCIAL-DISTANCING

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E A R N A Y I R

PHENOMENALLY, AD I wonder where her secret lies. Maybe it’s in the reach of her arms. Maybe in the depth of her eyes.

Maybe in the curl of her hair. Intelligently, deciding to wander life with her heart. A vagrant queen she is. She’s a woman, phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that’s RAE !

Adriyan Rae is the LEAD ROLE (#1 on the callsheet) African American female of SyFy’s new intergalactic series VAGRANT QUEEN, based on the Vault Comics, which premiered on FRIDAY, MARCH 27th .

Love and light is what she represents. Spreadng love and being a light to others are her priorities. What else about her ? She went to college in Philadelphia at the University of the Sciences double majored in Physician Assistant Studies and Medical Laboratory Science. After that Adriyan moved to Atlanta where she instantly found her love for acting and started her career in the independent feature, BURNING SANDS. You may know her from Emmy nominated and winning shows like Donald Glover’s Atlanta, BET’s American Soul, and Hulu’s Light as a Feather.

Do you want to know where her secret to success lies ? Me, too !

Credits : Photographer: Diana Ragland Hair: Kalin Spooner Makeup: Shannon Pezzetta Wardrobe Stylist: Monica Cargile

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#coverstar

Instagram @adriyanrae

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How did you start acting?

I fell into acting! When I was little, I literally thought the people in the television screen were in a magical land far away. I didn’t even know acting was a career choice, and I certainly didn’t know it was one I could pursue! Since the age of 5, I always said I was going to be a Cardiothoracic surgeon. I always knew I wanted to help people. I went to school at the University of the Sciences double majoring in Physician Assistant Studies and Medical Laboratory Sciences and became an MLS. Once I passed the boards, I moved to Atlanta to pursue music and it was in the midst of that when I found myself on a video shoot having to “act” and being told I was “pretty good I should look into it.” Somehow, I found a really great mentor who trained me, coached me up, and helped me book my first gig. After a single 15-hour day of work on set, I KNEW this was the career for me. I loved it with all my being What’s the worst thing that ever happened to you while making your way to be noticed as an actress?

I almost gave up and tried to be what society would call “normal” How did your granddad contribute to your success?

I have 7 grandparents, 5 of whom are still physically with me. The granddad you may be referring to I call my Poppop.

Poppop Leon. He passed away 7 years ago now, but even though he isn’t physically here now through my acting career growth, the lessons he instilled in me since I was little have been invaluable and contributed greatly to my accomplishments. He was an Apostle of the church, an Army Veteran, a man of tough love, order, and morals. He showed up with actions and not a lot of talk, and was the one who taught me the value of myself and that my soul is neither above nor below anyone else’s: “everybody puts their pants on one leg at a time, just like you,” he used to say. I get the premises of #LoveandLight from him. He really spent his life trying (and succeeding) to help people and changing their lives for the better – whether it was giving someone our only couch, (though we had little) because as he said, “Awe, we got beds and chairs. Stop complaining, they have nothing,” or opening our doors every holiday to everyone who wanted to eat What’s your weirdest pet peeve?

Mouth sounds. I have to listen to music while eating… because I don’t even want to hear my own What does keep you grounded from time to time?

Views! That may sound weird, but views and nature – views ground me by allowing me to see how vast the world really is, but both remind me that I am part of the world, playing a role in the bigger picture. But I’m certainly not the entire world, and there are things way bigger than me. And of course, my mama

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You are a powerful being, and wh and focus on, you give power to. S power and create!

hatever you speak of So, acknowledge your

Have you ever struggled to love yourself?

I’m not immune to the lack of self-love most of us come out of puberty with.

So yes, I have struggled to love myself. I struggle with mild depression, not as much now; but for most of my life up until about 2 years ago. Though it truly is a constant fight that you must choose daily you want to win. It was only when I did the work, went to therapy, and listened to and nurtured my inner child, that I was able to get to that place of actually knowing who I am and therefore being able to fully love who I am. The place of accepting and loving all of me (everything in my ego, persona, shadow, etc).

Ironically, that’s when acting really started thriving for me, and I truly don’t believe that’s a coincidence. Today, I can say I’m very proud of the woman I have become, and not only that, I really do love myself for the intangible components of me that neither this Earth nor time can change Do you plan on playing in other genres, too ?

Of course I plan on playing in other genres! My team and I always say, “this is a marathon,” and we treat it as such; with a complete plan for years to come. I want my career to be as multidimensional as I am. RomComs, action, gritty dramas, and full on comedy all interest me How did you prepare yourself to really depict your character as ‘Elida’ in Vagrant Queen?

I did a ton of backstory and psyche work to really dive into Elida and depict her in the most honest way possible. Learning about her inner child, what primal want drives her, etc. I brought this work to my amazing coach Ted Sluberski and we worked together to put it all into physical form! I took up Elida’s diet, transitioning from a pescatarian to Elida’s vegetarian diet. I also trained 5 days a week – weight training, cardio, and stunt work Do you feel in some situation that ‘Elida‘ is identical with Adriyan or can you totally separate home from acting ?

Elida is not identical to me presently, but definitely parallels a part of myself from my past. I believe that’s why she resonated with me so much when I first got the sides. It’s not the whole “Queen, lost her parents part,” but more the emotional journey. The journey of leaving your home, feeling completely alone, not knowing who to trust, having your kindness taken for weakness, and then having to build yourself back up from absolutely nothing brick by brick. She takes the lessons she learned years ago from Hath and her mom with her and uses them to try and navigate this new life journey. This paralleled my exact encounters, emotional state, and even thoughts after moving to LA alone (knowing NO ONE here) to pursue acting To which extent does the current COVID-19 situation affect your acting career?

COVID-19 affects my acting career to the extent that I allow it to, and I’m not choosing to allow it to affect it much. The industry has slowed drastically, sure – almost shut down, but I’m still practicing, working, doing press, prepping (and hoping!) for a season 2 pickup of Vagrant Queen, training, and auditioning. Many projects I’ve auditioned for have been halted, but whatever blessings are meant for me will never miss me; COVID-19 present or not

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M O N I Q U E

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R O S E Resilience, Driven and Passionate.

These 3 words came immediately to our mind after interviewing Monique Rose. With a fifteen-year proven track record of increasing sales and revenue for more than a dozen restaurants throughout America. Catapulting off the success of Milk and Honey CafĂŠ, Monique is embarking on a new adventure by entering the beauty space and launching her new beauty brand, Mink & Honey! What can we learn from her during this tough times ?

Let’s find out

When was the turning point for you to start your own business?

How can someone set priorities in order to not be overwhelmed with home and work ?

I’ve always been a business owner by nature. After the restaurant I was a GM in Atlanta was shut down, it encouraged me to find other ways to make money. Chef Sammy and I began to provide restaurant consulting.

This has opened the door to us establishing what is now, Milk & Honey

At times, that can definitely be a challenge. First, think about what has to be accomplished today.

Then, evaluate the other tasks on your list from most important to least tedious

‘The beauty market is over saturated’ what is your response to that ?

I don’t think the beauty market is over saturated. There is a lack of innovation and problem solving, which leads

‘ I’ve started my business and followed all the marketing rules, but nothing seems to work. There’s no way I can make 7-figure’ what advice would you give that person?

First, change your mindset. Second, there are no marketing ”rules”. If your following rules, you’re lacking in creativity. In order to hit the seven figure mark, you have to think outside the box and market in such a way that people don’t What does Mink&Honey represent ?

It represents a professional standard in beauty. We made high end, salon quality products accessible for the everyday woman

If you could recommend one book, what would it be? And why

Anything by John Grisham. But if I had to choose just one, it would be ”The Client”. I have a background in criminal justice, so it speaks to me on that level

Does Covid-19 affect your business in any way?

Most definitely, it affects the restaurants as we can not operate as normal. Our Mink & Honey line, not as much because we use local resources; but we are experiencing some change in business Can you please give a piece of advice on how to make money from home ?

If you are an existing business, find a way to take that business online. Some creative ideas would be to create virtual classes and curate a digital product to repetition in the type of products

Credits : YaVondai Covington

Do you plan on working with influencers and if so, who are your top 3 on the pr-list ?

Yes, we definitely want to work with influencers. We don’t currently have any influencers on the pr-list. We looking for micro-influencers who have a passion for what they do

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DAYS TO CURE CANCER ?

You and I are familiar with Chemotherapy .

Whether it’s through our dear friend or even your parent or through an article like this, the word ‘ Chemotherapy ’ is not new. In this paragraph I will explain how cancer appears in the body and how Chemotherapy works.

A healthy body regularly replaces cells through a process of dividing and growing. When cancer occurs, cells reproduce in an uncontrolled manner. As a part of the body produces more and more cells, they start to occupy the space that useful cells previously took up. They’re basically forming a mass at one area that is also commonly known as the point of origin.

Chemotherapy drugs interfere with cancer cell’s ability to divide and reproduce. Some treatments aim to stop the growth of new blood vessels that supply a tumor in order to starve it. This invasive treatment can have severe adverse effects both during the therapy and for some time after. Why ? This is because the drugs often target both cancer cells and healthy cells.. Some scientists are concerned that this strategy might encourage the growth and spread of cancer in some cases.

However, early treatment of chemotherapy can achieve a complete cure. Depending on the type and stage of cancer, the treatment can range from one day to a few weeks, even months.

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When uncertainty arises that’s when Dr. HadiyahNicole Green comes with a solution. With her solid background in physics, mathematics, and in the medical field combined, she’s a force to be reckoned with. Dr. Greens technology promises to kill cancer cells with nanoparticles, laser and heat (thermal ablation) in just 15 days. Only 15 days to cure cancer ? Yes. The cancer treatment is working in mice and ready to be tested on humans, but one thing is still missing, your support . At this point, you’re probably tired of me sounding professional. I know, I’m definitely not. But this interview deserves the best introduction for you to understand what she is talking about and eliminate the uncertainty you may have before donating to anything. Before you give your money away, you have to trust first, right ? Now , make yourself comfortable, prepare your cup of tea and enjoy the interview.

Disclaimer : Black Pepper Magazine is donating 40% of off all print copy purchases to Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green’s Foundation : OraLee Cancer Research Foundation. The name ‘OraLee’ is in memory to her aunt who raised her and who passed away due to cancer.

Dr. Green’s ultimate goal is to translate these treatments from laboratory into humans to demostrate efficacy in 12 cancer models (breast, lung, ovarian, cervical, colorectal, pancreatic, anal, prostate, skin, brain, head and neck) . Ok, I’m done now. Here the medical physicist, Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green !

Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green The Mastermind behind a revolutionizing cancer treatment

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At what age did you discover your passion for STEM ?

At first, I was excited about math. It started in Kindergarten. I had a brother who was in 4th grade, Nathan and he actually got me excited about calculating. He showed me how to substract, multiply etc. So funny, he got excited, so I can do his homework. And that leads to my foundation in STEM, mathematics. It wasn’t until I was in college that I embraced science and physics.

Why did you decide to specialize in cancer treatment?

Great question ! I’ve decided to specialize in cancer treatment as a way to be an answer to a problem. I’ve asked myself if there was a better way to treat cancer. That’s because after I graduated with a 4.0 in physics, my aunt who raised me was diagnosed with cancer. She said to me that she would rather die than to go through Chemotherapy.

3 months after she passed away my uncle who also raised me was diagnosed with cancer, too . I was iniatially planning to revolutionize the way we receive cable and internet, but the only parents I knew, my aunt and uncle, were impacted by cancer. It devastated our whole family. That’s why I’ve decided to dedicate my life to the way cancer is treated. If a satellite in the space can tell whether the ground is face up or down, why can’t we treat cancer inside of a tumor ? All these side effects didn’t make sense to me as a physicist.

How does your treatment work ?

The treatment is working in mice and now we are raising funds to begin human trials. I’ve designed a nanoparticle (ultrafine particle, that requires the use of electron microscopes), that absorbs a very specific wavelength of light. The light that I’m using, to excite these nanoparticles is very low power like a laser pointer. So, this laser heats up the nanoparticles inside of a tumor. The heat is hot enough to kill the cell. It’s a very localized therapy that would be considered as a thermal ablasion ( “cutting out” the cancer cell with heat).

Does your cancer treatment work for all cancer types ?

No it’s designed for solid tumors. I have clinical partners who are ready to begin human trial in a variety of cancers including : breast, lung, ovarian, cervical, colorectal, pancreatic, anal, prostate, skin, brain, head and neck cancer. Solid tumors are tumors you can feel.

There are cancers which circulate the blood like leukemia. This is not designed for leukemia per say, but for tumors you can touch, because they form a mass on one area.

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I’ve lost a close family member due to cancer , where its roots couldn’t be detected even after 2 months chemotherapy. The chemotherapy didn’t help that much because the cancer cells traveled rapidly to the brain. It was too late and she died. And my question is , could your treatment detect “the invisible cancer cells” or how would you handle this situation?

First of all, my condolences to your family member and that’s the reason why we fight. Too often people got diagnosed with cancer when it’s too late. That means the cancer has advanced so far that chemo- and radiation therapy don’t work anymore. In your situation, they couldn’t detect where the point of origin was.

It could have been breast , liver or pancreatic cancer. Chemotherapy is normally created for targeting cancer cells. So, when it’s travelling through the neck area and up to the brain, it’s not effective anymore. It’s like your GPS is locating you to your neighbors house, but they’ve moved away and you can’t find them.

The way my team and I would handle it, is finding the point of origin where the cells forms a mass, that way we should be able to treat it. I’m saying this in a hypothetical scenerio . Every patient is different, so therefore every treatment is different. I don’t want to say that my treatment is the solution for all, ‘cause it isn’t. That’s also why we are raising money to begin with the test on humans to see what works for each patient the best.

How long did your research process take ?

That’s an interesting question, because in order to enter a race, you have to count all the hours of practice.

So, for me it would be more than 11 years of academic achievements, proper research training and prayer. It took all those previous years of expertise combined to put all of this together.

Have you experienced any setbacks in your career so far ?

Yes, when my aunt and uncle ,who raised me , were diagnosed with cancer I stopped going to school.

I went home to take care of my family. People would say “You have full scholarships and so on, your career...”.

But my faith at that point was that God will provide for me and everything else will work out. My faith allowed me to put my family first. I was blessed with this idea that I will help millions of people. I would call it a setback over my initial account, but in high sight a set-up. A set-up for God’s purpose in my life. If that moment didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be where I am right now.

Well, this so called pandemic COVID-19 is literally going “viral” , do you have any piece of advice for us ?

Let me give a disclaimer that I’m a scientist and not a medical doctor, so I will speak from my perspective as a scientist and a medical scientist professional. We all need to self-quarantine for as long as possible. If we must interact with people who are not self-quarantined with us, we need to cover our airways and that in addition to all the recommandations like social distancing, washing your hands, and staying away from large crowds. Covering our airways is something the US has been downplayed and now we’re experiencing a shortage of facemasks . That is causing the virus to spread unneccessarily. I support to save those facemasks for medical and clinical workers. For us a bandana, scarf, schal is better than nothing. Even if it’s not that effective, it’s better than nothing, right ? The best advice I’ve heard was that everybody needs to act as if they already have the virus in order to protect others. Some may have it already without having symptoms.

Lastly, we want to know about your foundation OraLee Cancer Research Foundation is on a mission to change the way cancer is treated and reduce the suffering of cancer patients by providing care that is affordable, accessable for all, and most importantly, effective. We are raising money to begin human trials with the technology that has shown complete elimination of tumors in mice. We are relying on the generosity of everyday donors and philantropists to make us their cancer charity of choice. With churches, organizations, and individual gifts to remember us as part of the legacy. Even shopping with us on Amazon Smiles and making us your charity of choice MAGAZINE

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Or mail a check to Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation / P.O Box 11184 / Atlanta, GA 30310