A Toast Above

By Eva D. Coleman
Lifestyle & Culture Editor

A small crowd mixed and mingled at the Dallas Urban Arts Center on Saturday, Oct. 14. There were smiles as vendors shared details of their products. N’kole Bryant, known to many in the community as “Warrior Queen,” worked the room wearing all white, proudly adorned with a pink sash that read “I’m a Survivor.” She greeted each guest as a good host should. Her first event, Mammos and Margs, had finally taken off.

Short for “mammograms” and “margaritas,” Bryant had been counting down the event online for a while in partnership with Judah Agbonkhina of Suits for Judah and Word on Da Street with Judah, community-based organizations that uplift and empower others via education, resources and media. Bryant’s excitement was elevated with each subsequent post on social media. As a triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) survivor, Mammos and Margs is personal to her and attempts to provide resources for mammogram screening, mental health and wellness and so much more.

With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Bryant took center stage and opened the event programming by sharing her own personal story. Poet Lyrik Hunter followed, wowing the audience with her emotional artistry combining poetry and song. Breast cancer survivor Tiree Hooper followed, sharing her breast cancer story of diagnosis and survival. Avie Warren of Dallas Behavioral Healthcare Hospital and The Stewpot homeless services center then took the floor with her dynamic personality, providing life lessons, resources and more on mental health. She emphasized “CHANGE” in rewriting the narrative on mental illness.

“If you change the “i” to “we” in “mental illness” it becomes “mental wellness,” Warren said.

Bryant’s first installment of Mammos and Margs brought together vendors, entertainment and dynamic programming from survivor stories to crucial information on mental health. Several sponsors donated raffle items in support of the event as well. This pink cocktail proved valuable in informing the community of the importance of physical and mental awareness for sustaining life.