Reclaiming the Pink Ribbon

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Film screening and discussion

Tuesday October 2nd, 2012 at 7:00 pm in Innis College Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto.

Film Screening of Pink Ribbons Inc. followed by a talk and Q & A with Samantha King, author of "Pink Ribbons Inc.: Breast Cancer and the Politics of Philanthropy"The Pink Ribbon. The symbol of the struggle for a breast cancer cure. Millions of women march every year to raise money for breast cancer research, sporting their ribbons proudly. But where does the ribbon come from, and what does wearing it really mean? People have begun to question how breast cancer went from a personal battle to its own industry. Are we any closer to finding a cure? And where are all those donations going? The film Pink Ribbons Inc. deconstructs and documents how breast cancer fundraising has been co-opted to promote a frightening corporate agenda, with devastating consequences not only for women’s health, but also for environmental justice and workers’ rights. Based largely on the book of the same name, both the film and the book explore the history of the commercialization of breast cancer, how the pink ribbon became the ultimate symbol for corporate philanthropy, and how we can start to take the pink ribbon back.

The screening of Pink Ribbons Inc. will be followed by a presentation from Samantha King, the author of "Pink Ribbons Inc: Breast Cancer and the Politics of Philanthropy". Samantha King is an associate professor of physical and health education and women’s studies at Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario.