10 Black women public figures who have been candid about lupus

Black women are three times more likely to be diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common form of lupus.

Lupus affects millions of people worldwide, but Black women are disproportionately diagnosed with the chronic autoimmune disease.

Lupus is a chronic, long-term disease in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue and organs. The condition can cause inflammation, joint pain, fatigue, skin rashes and complications affecting the kidneys, heart and other parts of the body. Symptoms can vary from person to person, often making the disease difficult to diagnose, according to the Lupus Foundation of America.

A 2023 study from the American College of Rheumatology using data from the Georgia Lupus Registry found that the incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common form of lupus, was nearly three times higher in Black women than in white women between ages 30 and 59.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information also reported that women account for nine out of 10 lupus cases, with Black women experiencing the highest rates of the disease. About one in 433 Black women is diagnosed with lupus, compared with about one in 828 Hispanic women and roughly one in 1,180 white women.

“Lupus Awareness Month is a reminder to everyone impacted by lupus of the incredible power our collective voices can have on so many around us,” Louise Vetter, President & CEO of the Lupus Foundation of America, said in a statement.

Here are 10 Black women public figures who have shared their personal experiences with lupus and continue to help raise awareness, encourage advocacy and bring visibility to a condition that is often misunderstood.

Natasha S. Alford

Natasha S. Alford is the SVP and chief content officer at TheGrio, author of “American Negra” and journalist. She was diagnosed with lupus SLE in 2016 after turning 30 while building her journalism career.

“If I wanted to enjoy the success I’d worked for, I had to change my life,” Alford wrote in a 2018 Medium article about balancing her career while managing lupus.

Toni Braxton

Toni Braxton, 58, a seven-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and actor, was diagnosed with lupus SLE in 2008 at age 40. She has since spoken candidly about living with the autoimmune disease and the heart, kidney, physical and emotional complications she has experienced.

“I know we’re all scared sometimes to go to the doctor. Especially for me having lupus, I was scared, I didn’t want to know. But I find that knowing is empowering and it gets my doctors on top of my lupus and my kidney health,” Braxton said in a 2023 interview with People.

Muni Long

Muni Long, 37, a Grammy-winning singer, was diagnosed with lupus SLE in 2014 at 25. Like others with the autoimmune disease, the “Made for Me” artist often experienced flare-ups that would affect her skin and ability to perform at live shows. Long said keeping her stress levels under control is one way she manages lupus.

“The thing for me is I really have to just not allow people to stress me out, which is hard because people get on my nerves,” Long said in a 2025 interview with People. “So the best tool that I have is just staying relaxed and not doing anything I don’t want to do.”

Cori Broadus

Cori Broadus, 27, founder of Choc Factory and daughter of Snoop Dogg, has been open about living with lupus since being diagnosed at 6 years old. She has also spoken publicly about her struggles with depression and mental health.

“It has, in many ways, shaped the person she is today – someone who approaches life with both vulnerability and unwavering determination. “Lupus has definitely made me stronger,” Cori reflected in a Choc Factory blog post. “It’s taught me to listen to my body and to advocate for myself.”

Mercedes Scelba-Shorte

Mercedes Scelba-Shorte, 45, a model and runner-up in cycle 2 of “America’s Next Top Model,” was diagnosed with lupus in 2003. She initially spent years trying to hide the disease, but later became a national spokesperson for the Lupus Foundation of America, according to IMDb.

“I woke up and made it my choice to ‘cure’ myself,” she shared in a statement, according to an Instagram post. Through clean eating, research, and a fierce mental attitude, she shifted from “woe is me” to “I am healthy, happy, and strong.”

Maya Harris

Maya Harris, 59, a lawyer, writer and sister of former Vice President Kamala Harris, was diagnosed with lupus at 22 while attending the University of California, Berkeley. After keeping her diagnosis private for more than three decades, Harris later spoke publicly about living with the autoimmune disease to help raise awareness.

“I was determined not to let lupus define me. I’d not think about it, not talk about it, not allow anyone to treat me differently because of it,” Harris wrote in a 2020 Women’s Health article.

Ava DuVernay

Ava DuVernay, 53, acclaimed filmmaker and director, was diagnosed with lupus when she was younger, but has been in remission for nearly three decades.

 “I’ve been in remission for 27 years, but suffered when I was younger. There were times I couldn’t help thinking: Is this what I’ll die of? Family got me through it. Luckily, at 51, I’m still here,” she said during a 2024 interview with The Guardian.

Shannon Boxx

Shannon Boxx, 48, a former gold medal-winning Olympic soccer player, was diagnosed with lupus in 2007. Since learning she had the autoimmune disease, Boxx continued to endure flare-ups in her joints, skin and internal organs privately while playing professional soccer. It wasn’t until 2012 that she publicly revealed she had the disease and became an advocate with the Lupus Foundation of America.

“I actually did a pretty good job of learning my body really well and how to read it,” Boxx said in an interview with AndScape, according to the Lupus Foundation of America’s Greater Ohio Chapter.

Echo Brown

Echo Brown, author of Black Girl Unlimited, was diagnosed with lupus in 2015 after living with symptoms and flare-ups for years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown developed kidney failure and later underwent dialysis while awaiting a kidney transplant.

“I was in a state of shock,” Brown said in a 2021 interview with People. “I was in a state of panic. I couldn’t believe that this was happening. In fact, I kept questioning her. I was like, ‘Are you sure?’ When they wanted to put me on dialysis, I was like, ‘Do I have to do this?’ Because I was in denial.”

Brown, 39, died two years later on Sept. 16, 2023, from end-stage renal failure due to lupus, according to Brown’s obituary in Publishers’ Weekly.

Tonya Ingram

Tonya Ingram was a poet and mental health advocate who was diagnosed with lupus in 2013. Over the years, she spoke candidly about her journey with the autoimmune disease and raised awareness in others.

Ingram, 31, was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure caused by complications from lupus. She underwent dialysis while awaiting a kidney transplant. Ingram died four years later on Dec. 30, 2022, from complications related to kidney failure, according to her 2021 speech to Congress and the National Kidney Foundation.