Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Re-Think the Pink

Cancer is never far from my mind, especially at this time of year. My mother was diagnosed with gastric cancer in November 2008, and two people very dear to me died of cancer in the fall. So as someone who cares deeply about cancer, you would think that I would be excited about and invested in the various campaigns associated with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Wrong. I have a complicated relationship to all the pink (the color associated with breast cancer) and the entire rainbow of colors that symbolize the various campaigns to educate the public about cancer.

A common complaint I hear about these campaigns, especially from those who are currently fighting cancer or have survived their fight is, “Aren’t we already aware?” Enough awareness, they say. We need more action. I understand the frustration. At what point have we saturated all the media outlets and platforms with information about cancer and advice about how to take better care of ourselves. Yet only some of us are aware, and extremely aware at that. Many of these campaigns are not targeting low-income communities, immigrant communities or communities of color. Materials aren’t available in multiple languages or written for people with low literacy. Pamphlets and public service announcements don’t represent the diversity of people in the US. So despite the ubiquitous presence of pink, there are still many people who don’t know what breast cancer is and don’t connect it to their lives.

Then there is also the question of action. Many people are frustrated that more isn’t being done to fight cancer, but what would that look like? Is it more research into possible treatments and cures? Are we talking about more investigation into environmental toxins and their relationship to cancer? We could advocate for stricter regulation of chemicals and oversight of industries that leak carcinogenic materials into the environment. Or we could devote more resources to programs that support cancer fighters and their families. I don’t get the sense that there is consensus on what action to take. Based on my experience in the reproductive health, rights and justice movement I think we need to devote more resources to all of the above. No one strategy is going to deliver us from cancer. We need more research into treatments as well as factors that cause cancer. We need more legislation, more funding, more community-based programs, and yes, more awareness campaigns.

What particularly bothers me about Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the pink is something altogether different. When I see products with pink ribbons on them, or NFL players wearing pink cleats, I don’t see their connection to people I know who have fought cancer. It’s as if the pink ribbon has replaced the faces of women who are fighting breast cancer at any given moment. During the month of October you can get anything you want in pink. But where does all of the money go? What does the awareness get us? Are there more mammograms as a result of the campaigns? Do African-American and Latino women have better survival rates as a result of the waves of pink? [Black women have a higher mortality rate than other women] In other words, what do we get for all this pink every October?

Then I begin to wonder, is Breast Cancer Awareness Month part of the problem or part of the solution? We have created an entire industry devoted to raising awareness about breast cancer with its own institutions, structures, and funding streams. We have walks and runs to raise money and awareness for cancer and build community among cancer activists. We have also provided corporations with great public relations opportunities. And every year these campaigns get bigger. Maybe it’s time to step back and really look at what we have created. Is this really what we want? Is this what we think will help us conquer cancer, once and for all? Or is it time to re-think the pink?

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