KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Alliance House Community Coalition, or AHCC is hosting its 3rd annual Pretty in Pink event Saturday, Oct. 8. The event is designed to give women of color access to breast cancer awareness resources and screenings.
The AHCC states on its website its “vision is to fight against and identify laws, policies, programs and projects that use data and information in an unjust and inequitable manner that would suppress minority communities.” They also focus on social equality and health literacy in Knoxville’s African American community.
The Executive Assistant with the Coalition, Anise Banks, spoke with WATE 6 On Your Side about how breast cancer adversely impacts Black women.
“We lead in deaths with breast cancer and it’s getting younger and younger in the United States,” said Banks. “40% of African American women diagnosed with breast cancer will die and it’s worse in Tennessee, it’s 60% of African American women with breast cancer will die.”
“Black women are 35% more likely compared to 15% in white women to carry a triple-negative BRCA1 mutation gene,” according to the AHCC website. Their site continued to state, “black women face both disproportionate exposure to breast carcinogens and the highest risk of serious health impacts from the disease.”
Banks said it’s also about spreading awareness in the Black community since there is often a distrusting of doctors and the health care field.
“We’re trying to make that push across Tennessee to make sure that everyone gets awareness, and resources, and is educated about breast cancer, ’cause it’s killing us,” said Banks. “It’s killing too many African American women and leaving their children.”
The AHCC 3rd Annual Pretty in Pink event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 8 at Austin East High School located at 2800 Martin Luther King Boulevard in Knoxville. It will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The first 50 women to pre-register and sign in will receive a $25 gift card. The first 22 women ages 30-39 will receive a free mammogram. However, they are adamant no one will be turned away.
Those interested can wither head to the AHCC website or call 865-332-2677 for more details.