Radical Sisters
Shirley Temple Black, Rose Kushner, Evelyn Lauder, and the Dawn of the Breast Cancer Movement
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- 8,49 €
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“The doctor can make the incision, but I’ll make the decision.” — Shirley Temple Black
“I have a streak of stubbornness and a loud voice.” — Rose Kushner
“I believe that one must leave the world a better place than you found it.” — Evelyn Lauder
There was a time when women’s health was marginalized. There was a time when breast cancer wasn’t discussed. There was a time when October wasn’t pink. But three women—Shirley Temple Black, Rose Kushner, and Evelyn Lauder—refused to be silenced. Their courage ignited a movement that forever changed the way society addresses breast cancer.
When these “radical sisters” were diagnosed, they faced a medical world rife with myths, outdated protocols, and a shocking lack of research. Breast cancer awareness was non-existent, and treatment options were limited. Yet, Shirley, Rose, and Evelyn—empowered by their own diagnoses—became trailblazing advocates for breast cancer research, early detection, and women’s health. Their efforts broke open the conversation and set the stage for a new era of breast cancer advocacy.
Radical Sisters, meticulously researched by award-winning biographer Judith L. Pearson, chronicles their powerful journeys. Taking cues from the women’s health and AIDS movements, these inspirational women demanded a shift in how society viewed breast cancer—not as a taboo, but as a cause worthy of public attention and action.
Today, more than 300,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. They stand on the shoulders of these courageous pioneers, whose legacy has empowered generations to advocate for better healthcare, increased research, and greater awareness.
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In this powerful history, biographer Pearson (Crusade to Heal America) spotlights three women who spearheaded the breast cancer awareness movement: actor and diplomat Shirley Temple Black, journalist Rose Kushner, and businesswoman and philanthropist Evelyn Lauder. Though the three never met, Pearson explains, each worked tirelessly to advocate for early detection programs and increased research into treatments between the 1970s and '90s. In addition to facing their own breast cancer diagnoses, the three battled public opinion (even the mention of breasts was taboo) and a paternalistic medical establishment. Pearson describes how their awareness campaigns, like the 1972 press conference Black held in her hospital room days after receiving a mastectomy, normalized conversations about breast cancer, and how their philanthropic efforts, including Lauder's founding of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, brought hundreds of millions of dollars to medical research. Pearson details several moving moments, as when the Washington Post in 1974 decided to run Kushner's groundbreaking article on a woman's right to choose her breast cancer treatment. At times, the chronology is hard to follow as Pearson weaves the women's stories together across decades. Still, it's an inspiring account of the women who changed how breast cancer is understood and treated.
