When You See Us
I am a museum full of art, but you had your eyes shut. ― Rupi Kaur
When For the Breast of Us was created in 2019, we simply wanted to create a place where other women of color affected by breast cancer could connect with women who looked like them, felt like them, and navigated the same challenges they do. A place where they could share their authentic experiences without judgement and face the world without the burden of being anything other than themselves.
As young, black survivors ourselves, we know firsthand what it’s like to walk into a room and instantly feel out of place, to read educational materials that assume we’re white women, and to struggle to find photos of black and brown skin changed by breast cancer.
Two years later, as leaders of a growing community, we’ve connected with countless women and understand that representation is about more than being visible; it’s about being heard, valued and understood. It’s about truly being seen as a person — more than a patient, more than a disease, and more than a stereotype.
We’re excited to showcase our new brand photography because in the words of Oprah, we come as one, but we stand as 10,000 to the tenth power. Not only are we celebrating the visual diversity of our community, we are demanding to be SEEN and acknowledged by the breast cancer community at large.
Here are a few things our Baddie Ambassadors want you to keep in mind #WhenYouSeeUs:
Ginny, an Asian woman diagnosed at 41 who chose aesthetic flat closure
"When you see us, do not assume that every woman needs breast mound reconstruction to feel whole again. We need to know about and understand all of our reconstruction options to make the right choices for ourselves, not what society deems as acceptable."
Miranda, a Latina, stay-at-home mother of 5 diagnosed at 40
"When you see us, understand that we all come from different socio-economic backgrounds, and many times when you think we are refusing treatment, we actually can't afford it. We are relying on you to give us all the options available. But when you actually see us, we will trust you enough to make whatever you need us to do, happen."
"Did you know "by acceptance of the advantages of the model minority label, Asian Americans may be reluctant to disclose, or may not advocate for, their own physical or mental health concerns and needs? Taken together, the consequences of this myth may lead to poor understanding of significant medical issues faced by Asian Americans and misguided policies."
Keneene, a Black woman diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 40
"When you see us, you must realize many health standards are based on white patients. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with our skin, hair, concerns, and hesitations due to history of black people being used as guinea pigs."
Veronica, a Latinx woman diagnosed with breast cancer at age 49
"When you see us, understand women of color face multiple barriers, such as gender, racial, ethnic, and other disparities. Be an advocate for us as we navigate life with breast cancer."
"When you see us, remember that cancer does not discriminate between age, gender, race, your current location, or what phase of life you are in. Why then does the healthcare options we receive depend on how we look?"
Terlisa, a Black woman who was young and pregnant at diagnosis
Christina, a plus-sized Latinx woman diagnosed with breast cancer at 36
Did you know health disparities exist for women of color affected by breast cancer?
Vanessa, a Latinx woman diagnosed with breast cancer at 24
Tova, a black woman diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer at age 41
When you see us, see a group of unique women working to shift the narrative of an disease impacting women of color in disproportionate rates. See us fighting to be all things and fill many roles to those in our lives. We are friends, sisters, aunts, mothers, partners, professionals, volunteers, advocates and far too many other titles to name. See our refusal to be defined by a breast cancer diagnosis, but instead continuing to live, bring awareness and educate our communities. When you see us, see a legacy of change.
Shoni, a Black and West Indian woman diagnosed at 36 -- a motherless child turned into a childless mother
Niya, a Black woman, diagnosed at 31 while 12 weeks pregnant
“When you see us, please acknowledge that we are fighting for our lives and the health of our unborn child. Instead of dismissing us with talks of abortion, please educate yourself about pregnancy-associated breast cancer or refer us to someone more knowledgeable so we can determine the best treatment plan. Remember, we are not guinea pigs, but expectant mothers whose joy shattered due to our cancer diagnosis. Save your pity and apologies and roll out the red carpet so we can enjoy as much of our pregnancy as possible.”
Did you know many of the race-adjusted diagnostic algorithms guide decisions in ways that may direct more attention or resources to white patients than to members of racial and ethnic minorities?
Marissa, a Black woman diagnosed with breast cancer at age 35
Cynthia, a plus-sized baddie with nerve damage, cardiac issues and neuropathy from breast cancer treatment
“When you see us, understand that our weight is just one factor. They are not complete indicators of our health; our aches and pains are still quite real. Don’t dismiss our concerns and assume our physical difficulties are simply because we are big girls. We have the same side effects and long term challenges as women of smaller size.”
"When you see us, take our concerns seriously. Don’t dismiss our symptoms, pain or fear. Give us all the information we need to make the best decisions for ourselves with our personal definition of quality of life in mind. We are forced to make life-changing decisions in such short time frames. Make sure we understand the when, why and how things are happening every step of the way. Don't just make decisions for us or leave us in a constant state of uncertainty when answers are available.”
Allow us to reintroduce ourselves. We are:
FOR THE BREAST OF US
Our mission is to help women of color affected by breast cancer make the rest of their lives, the best of their lives after a breast cancer diagnosis.
Join our private Facebook group exclusively for women of color affected by breast cancer to be part of our beautiful community of #BreastCancerBaddies.
