“I just have to start off by telling all of my Black sisters that you are a queen. You have all of the soul. All of the sauce. All of the flavor. All of the strength and the courage that it takes to run the world.” —Ciara Wilson, singer-songwriter Ciara Princess Wilson’s light shines brightly. The superstar is a Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter, a philanthropist and a mother, daughter and a wife. But most recently, the performer became an advocate on behalf of Black women’s health. As the spokesperson for Cerving Confidence—an initiative from The Black Women’s Health Imperative and Hologic’s Project Health Equality—the multi-hyphenate hopes to bring awareness to cervical cancer. In her message to Black women, Ciara leads with love. “I just have to start off by telling all of my Black sisters that you are a queen. You have all of the soul. All of the sauce. All of the flavor. All of the strength and the courage that it takes to run the world.” Wilson tells The Root in an exclusive interview. Indeed, all queens must take care of their personal temples. The Cerving Confidence initiative, which launched earlier in the week, aims to promote awareness around cervical cancer (hence the “cerving,” get it?) by targeting Black women, specifically. And rightfully so. In fact, research shows that Black women in the U.S. are twice as likely to die from cervical cancer as white women. Here’s the thing: When detected early, cervical cancer is highly treatable. Doctors recommend a pap test as well as an HPV test to detect the disease. Russell refers to these annual wellness check-ups as self-care. “Life going to throw us curve balls, but everything that you need to thrive and survive is rooted in you,” she says. Watch Ciara Russell discuss motherhood, self-care and her love letter to Black women above.