October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and across metro Atlanta, the community is stepping up with walks, wellness events, educational panels, and fundraising galas — many of them created with Black women in mind.
Black women have the lowest survival rate for every known stage of breast cancer across racial demographics, according to the American Cancer Society. This year, several organizations are working to change that by centering events around Black voices, lived experiences, and health disparities.
On Oct. 11, the Center for Black Women’s Wellness will host a free event titled “Say It With Your Chest,” a celebration and panel discussion highlighting the unique challenges Black women face during diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. The event includes guest speakers, survivor testimonies, and referrals for free mammograms.
Earlier in the month on Oct. 4, Sista Strut Atlanta, a 3K walk focused on women of color, kicks off at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park. The event pairs physical activity with community support and education.
These are the Breast Cancer Awareness events happening in Atlanta throughout the rest of the month:
Walks and Runs
Georgia 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer
Date: Oct. 4 and Oct. 5
Time: 7 a.m. Oct. 4 to noon Oct. 5
Location: Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel & Convention Center, 2450 Galleria Parkway SE, Atlanta
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk
Date: Oct. 4
Time: 9 a.m, but participants can arrive as early as 7 a.m.
Location: The Home Depot Backyard, 1 Backyard Way, Atlanta
Date: Oct. 4
Time: Rally starts at 10 a.m, and the walk starts at 11 a.m.
Location: The Gateway Center Arena, 2330 Convention Center Concourse, College Park
Kim Jacobs Breast Cancer Walk/Run
Date: Oct. 18
Time: 10 a.m to 1 p.m.
Location: Big Peach Running Co. South Fulton, 5829 Campbellton Road SW, suite 102, Atlanta
Date: Oct. 18
Time: 7:30 a.m to 11 a.m
Location: Gas South District, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth (Lot C)
The Faith Center Breast Cancer Awareness 5K
Date: Oct. 11
Time: 10 a.m
Location: The Faith Center, 4600 N Royal Atlanta Drive, Tucker
Clayton County Public Schools Awareness Walk
Date: Oct. 25
Time: 9 to 11 a.m.
Location: Clayton County International Park, 2300 Highway 138 SE, Jonesboro
Community Events and Education
“Say It With Your Chest” Panel
This community event at the Center for Black Women’s Wellness includes a panel discussion on Breast Cancer Awareness, a celebration for breast cancer survivors, and free mammogram referrals for patients without insurance.
Date: Oct. 11
Time: 11 a.m to 1 p.m
Location: Center for Black Women’s Wellness, 477 Windsor St. SW, Atlanta
Breast Cancer Awareness Workshop
Richard Berry, the health ministries director for the South Atlantic Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, will conduct a workshop on breast cancer in Ellenwood.
Date: Oct. 4
Time: 5 to 6 p.m.
Location: New Hope SDA Church, 3979 Panthersville Road, Ellenwood
Grace City Church Awareness Event
“Pretty and Pink and Fierce in Spirit” is a breast cancer awareness event in Austell that will feature guest speakers and interactive activities centered on prevention and early detection.
Date: Oct. 25
Time: 10 a.m to noon
Location: Grace City Church, 4293 Austell Road, Austell
The Pink Agenda’s Annual Atlanta Gala
The Pink Agenda, which is a nonprofit that raises money for breast cancer research, is holding a gala at the end of the month in Midtown for Breast Cancer Awareness month. The event will include food, music and a silent auction.
Date: Oct. 23
Time: 7 p.m
Location: The Dogwood, 950 West Marietta St. NW, Atlanta
Black Women with Breast Cancer Virtual Support Group
This virtual group is for Black women who have been diagnosed with any stage of breast cancer and is open to those newly diagnosed, in treatment, or in survivorship.
Date: Oct. 16
Time: 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Location: Virtual; Register by emailing programs@smithcenter.org or by visiting https://smithcenter.org/programs-retreat.
