Atlanta Hairstylist Honored With Cash Drawing For Her Efforts In Bringing Lung Cancer Awareness To At Risk Communities
The drawing is part of the Saving Lungs Behind The Chair campaign, which seeks to connect stylists with clients to raise lung cancer awareness.
Atlanta, GA— Lung Cancer Foundation of America (LCFA) today announced that Refilwe Moeti, a hairstylist at Beaver Beauty Academy in Atlanta, has been selected as this month’s Saving Lungs Behind the Chair (SLBTC) honoree after going above and beyond to educate her clients about lung cancer screening and early detection. She was chosen from a national pool of trained stylists and barbers and will receive $500 in recognition of her community impact.
SLBTC trains hairstylists and barbers, particularly those serving Black communities, to start conversations about screening, lung cancer risk, and early detection. By using simple, relatable language and everyday interactions, the program empowers stylists to encourage clients to talk with their healthcare providers about screening, a step that can dramatically improve early detection and survival.
Now in its second year, the SLBTC program has expanded to 189 trained hairstylists and barbers, who have already shared lung cancer screening information with more than 400 clients nationwide.
For Refilwe, this recognition reflects her commitment to the Saving Lungs Behind the Chair program and her effort to share important health information with clients. Between trims, color touch-ups, and braids, Refilwe used everyday moments behind the chair to share information that could help catch lung cancer early, when it’s most treatable.
Black Americans face disproportionate barriers to early lung cancer detection, from lower screening rates to delayed diagnoses. That gap is exactly why LCFA created SLBTC, to equip trusted community figures with the knowledge to spark conversations. In salons and barbershops, where relationships run deep and dialogue is natural, stylists like Refilwe Moeti can reach people in ways traditional healthcare systems often can’t.
In many communities, medical information is easier to absorb from trusted voices than from clinical settings. A stylist’s chair becomes a space where conversations about screening feel natural and personal.
The urgency is real, and the stakes are personal for the people these stylists reach every day.
- Lung cancer remains the deadliest cancer in the U.S., but screening rates stay extremely low
- Only about 5% of eligible Americans get screened, leaving early detection opportunities missed
- Black Americans are more likely to be diagnosed late; trusted community voices can help close that gap
It’s a reminder that early detection doesn’t start in a clinic, sometimes it starts in a salon, with a stylist who cares enough to start the conversation.
High-resolution photos and SLBTC background materials are available upon request. An LCFA representative is also available for a Zoom interview to provide additional context or expert insight.
About LCFA
LCFA’s mission is the improvement in survivorship of lung cancer patients through the funding of transformative science. Together with our partners, we make sure that everyone touched by lung cancer has a chance to fight back with the best science in their corner. Since 2007, LCFA has strategically invested $4.4 million across 22 grants, leading to an extraordinary $43 million in follow-on funding—demonstrating how targeted seed funding can generate nearly 10-fold returns in cancer research. Our proven approach of funding impactful research, changing public perceptions, and educating patients for better outcomes sparks hope for the future and pulls lung cancer out of the shadows. Visit lcfamerica.org to donate to this important work.
Diane Mulligan