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Background: This formative study leveraged a community–academic partnership to identify barriers to care that are potential sources of breast cancer disparities in Black women. Through this partnership and using a community‐based participatory research approach, the objective was to develop a community task force to inform future interventions aimed at addressing breast cancer disparities and increasing health equity. Methods: The authors assessed gaps in care related to breast cancer in Buffalo, New York, by collecting and analyzing qualitative data from focus groups and interviews with breast cancer survivors and breast navigation groups assessing barriers and facilitators across the cancer care continuum. Then, community‐based participatory research approaches were used to build a task force to develop an action plan addressing gaps in care. Results: The authors conducted a thematic analysis of qualitative findings to understand barriers and facilitators to cancer care. Three main domains of themes emerged, including medical mistrust, fear, and stigma; the importance of patient navigation as a form of social support; and the importance of faith and faith‐based community. Finally, the findings were presented to a newly formed community task force to validate the data collected and set future priorities to address breast cancer disparities and increase breast health equity in the region. Conclusions: The authors observed that health equity is a critically important issue in cancer care and that developing culturally tailored interventions has the potential to improve care delivery and reduce breast cancer disparities. Learning from and working with community members helps set the future agenda related to health equity. Plain Language Summary: Our overall goal was to assess gaps in breast cancer care in Buffalo, New York, and to use community‐based participatory approaches to build a task force to work toward breast health equity.Recent and historical data indicate that the Western New York community is facing a continued wide gap in breast cancer mortality trends between Black and White patients.We collected qualitative data to understand potential sources of inequity related to breast cancer and presented findings to a community task force to set future priorities for addressing breast cancer disparities and increasing breast health equity in our region. Qualitative data were used to understand potential sources of inequity related to breast cancer. Findings were presented to a community task force to set future priorities for addressing breast cancer disparities and increasing breast health equity in the Western New York community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: New evidence has found breast and cervical cancer risk factors unique to African American women. Thus, there is a significant need to increase their knowledge and understanding of relevant risk factors and the potential protective benefits associated with breast‐feeding and HPV vaccination. The National Witness Project is a robust, evidence‐ and community‐based lay health advisor programme that uses group education, navigation and survivor narratives to increase cancer screening among diverse underserved women. Methods: A multi‐phase, community‐based participatory research study was conducted across three sites in Buffalo, NY, New York City and Arkansas between October 2016 and January 2017. Pre‐/post‐test surveys were administered during volunteer trainings and community programmes. An evaluation survey was also administered at the Annual Meeting for Education and Networking. Paired sample t tests were used to compare pre‐/post‐test survey scores. Results: Trainee survey results showed the overall mean per cent correct pre‐/post‐test scores were 47.7% (SD: 21.87) and 79.2% (SD: 16.14). Altogether, 31 educational programmes reached 332 community participants. Participants' breast and cervical cancer knowledge scores were significantly higher after the education programme (84.4%) than before (55.3%) with a mean change score of 29% (P ≤.001). Conclusion: This paper reveals the underlying complexities to update the educational curriculum content of a multi‐site, community‐based outreach organization. The new curriculum significantly improved African American women's knowledge about breast and cervical cancer by 10%‐36%, clearly demonstrating that this information was new to them. The need for education programming in African American communities to disseminate cancer prevention and risk information remains high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]