#BoldLipsForSickleCell (Now Bold Plus+) began when the Founder, Shamonica Wiggins, viewed a fellow warrior, Shameka McFarland, video challenging those with Sickle Cell to come up with an awareness challenge for Sickle Cell. She shares her same passion for sickle cell and also feel we needed an awareness challenge. Once the idea was pitched, Co Founder, Jewel Darbone loved the idea and ran with it. Her quick action is a big reason that it took off in the way that it did. Shortly after her help Kenny Thompson, Shaquansia Love, Brianna Capers and Shameka McFarland all agreed to be apart of the bold lips team and do whatever necessary to make it a success.

Shortly after it was started, our Founder was contacted by representatives for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America because they were receiving phone calls asking about the challenge. Luckily that phone call led to the SCDAA supporting #BoldLipsForSickleCell and using it as the official awareness campaign to gain signatures for the petition to reauthorize the Sickle Cell Treatment Act.

So far we have been pretty successful. Tionne “T Boz” Watkins, a singer with Sickle Cell, supported the challenge very early on. Monica Brown and Jordin Sparks, also singers have supported the challenge.