A sea of pink and purple flooded Alabama State University’s Football Stadium Saturday, Oct. 12, as community members and students came together for the annual Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence Awareness Walk. Organized by Kimberly Black and Patina Moss, the event kicked off at 11:45 a.m. and united participants from the university and local community in a moving display of solidarity.

Breast cancer and domestic violence are critical public health issues affecting millions of women. In the U.S., approximately one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, making it the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. Although medical advancements have raised the 5-year survival rate to 90%, disparities remain, especially for women diagnosed at later stages, where the survival rate drops to 30% for metastatic breast cancer.

On the other hand, domestic violence is experienced by about one in four women in the U.S., with 30% of women globally subjected to either physical or sexual violence. Domestic violence is a significant contributor to female homicides, with one in three women in the U.S. killed by an intimate partner. These alarming statistics highlight the need for continuous awareness, prevention and support initiatives.

“This year we had 150 participants. Last year, we had more students, this year we had more people from the community that were involved,” said Kimberly Black, director of payroll services and one of the coordinators and a breast cancer survivor.

Black explained that the walk originated when the athletic department asked breast cancer survivors at the university to coordinate the event.

“This event came about because the athletic department asked us, as breast cancer survivors, if we would be able to coordinate the breast cancer event. We have been doing it for a couple of years now.”

In addition to recognizing survivors from the university, this year’s walk honored community members impacted by breast cancer.

“Usually, we always get recognized for being survivors and working at Alabama State. This year we recognized breast cancer survivors from the community on the football field as well,” said Black.

One notable honoree was Eboni Faith Johnson, who passed away earlier this year.

“We highlighted Eboni Faith Johnson at the event. She passed away this year, but last year, she was involved in the walk and on the field with us,” Black said. “Recently, her mother and her sister were on the Jennifer Hudson show to speak about Eboni, and they have a scholarship named after her at Alabama State.”

Dorothy Birl-Johnson, Johnson’s mother and the administrative assistant to President Quinton T. Ross, Jr. Ph.D., expressed her emotions about participating in the event.

“It was great, I honestly felt overjoyed! My daughter passed away due to breast cancer, so being able to participate was incredible. I was proud to be a part of that,” she said. Reflecting on her appearance on the Jennifer Hudson show, Birl-Johnson added, “Going on the Jennifer Hudson show was awesome! It was an experience that I would never forget.”

Birl-Johnson hopes breast cancer awareness extends beyond October.

“I want breast cancer awareness to be more than just for the month of October. My hope is that it could be a year-round thing,” she said. “We have opened up a scholarship fund in Eboni’s name, to make sure her legacy continues and not just until the end of October.”

Patina Moss, co-coordinator of the event, noted that prior planning helped increase support this year.

“It was a beautiful day, we had a lot more support because we had time to do a lot of prior planning,” Moss said. “This allowed us to bring others from the community and campus. We also collaborated with Dr. Oliver and the Mighty Marching Hornets, so that really boosted the participation.”

Moss explained that the event, which has grown over the years, began with smaller initiatives.

“It started off on a small scale, like having a pink-out game, then once we started doing more planning and incorporating things like videos to be played during the game, more people became aware and helped us grow this event,” she said.

Combining breast cancer and domestic violence awareness, both observed in October, was a deliberate decision by the organizers.

“With breast cancer and domestic violence awareness happening during the same month, we thought it would be a great idea to join forces and bring awareness to both,” Moss added.

For students like Jamarri Clark, a senior majoring in communications with a focus in radio and TV, the walk provided an opportunity to support causes close to his heart.

“My experience at the Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence Walk was great,” Clark said. “Being a Black male in the community, I am very aware of the issues involving domestic violence as well as the bias that only women experience domestic violence.”

Clark also shared his personal connection to breast cancer. “Having family members who have suffered from breast cancer allowed me to share those emotions and experiences as well as support for those who are impacted by this devastating disease,” he said.

The organizers expressed hope for continued growth of the event.

“Hopefully, it’ll be bigger and better next year,” Black said. “Our goal is to include more students on top of having the community present.”