Every October, Lake Norman turns pink. The ribbons go up, the walks begin, and fundraisers fill the calendar — but as Jameka Haynes, founder of Bold Conversations Consulting, reminds us, awareness alone isn’t enough.

In her powerful essay, “Beyond the Pink Ribbon: Honoring Breast Cancer Survivors with Dignity”, Jameka challenges us to look deeper — to see survivors not just as fighters or patients, but as whole, vibrant humans with dreams, humor, and stories that stretch far beyond a diagnosis.

Behind every pink ribbon is someone cheering from the sidelines of a soccer game after chemo, hosting dinner parties between appointments, or balancing treatment while showing up for their family and community. They are not defined by cancer, but by how they continue to live — fully, boldly, and beautifully.

Jameka’s BOLD approach calls on us to:
B – Be curious about their joys and passions
O – Open your mind to every unique journey
L – Listen without agenda
D – Drop assumptions and see the whole person

And as she reminds us, equity matters too. Not every survivor has equal access to care — programs like Iredell Health’s Mammo Mondays, Mecklenburg County’s BCCCP, and Duke Health Imaging Lake Norman are crucial in removing barriers so that every woman has a fighting chance.

So this October, let’s move beyond the pink — from awareness to action, and from sympathy to seeing. Because honoring survivors means celebrating their humanity, not just their survival.