It’s quite possible you’ll see the hashtag #poutwithus on social media from Friday, May 15 through the next three months.
It's quite possible you'll see the hashtag #poutwithus on social media from Friday, May 15 through the next three months.
And #poutwithus will come with selfies of women proudly wearing pink lipstick.
The Pink Lipstick Campaign is the brainchild of a nonprofit in Irving focused on getting women to be proactive about their breast health. Its founder believes there's power in pink.
"Pink lipstick? First, because it's bold. It's vibrant. It's red's little sister. And it's fun," said Shantaquilette Carter. "And pink is my favorite color. Before my aunt passed away, it was one of the things I used to encourage her, by saying 'Hey, put a little pink lipstick on.'"
Carter founded The Pink Peppermint Project to honor the favorite aunt she lost to breast cancer five years ago.
"She was an amazing woman. She was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in October 2014 and passed away March of 2015. I was so inspired by her. She always kept us uplifted," said Carter about her aunt Ruby Randall, 70.
Carter remembers coming to Dallas from Denver every summer to visit her father's sister. Years later, those visits inspired Carter to start the nonprofit.
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"One of the things we always remember is her pink mints that she had in her bowl. And they were so endearing, and we looked forward to having them every time we visited her," she recalled. "So, I thought what better way to serve her and keep her memory than create an organization that supports women and encourages women and lets them know we care and love them."
The Pink Peppermint Project provides programs, resources and services for women experiencing breast cancer and seeks to "Motivate, Inspire, Nurture and Transform women through all stages of the journey," Carter said.
The founding date for the nonprofit is May 15, 2017. The Pink Lipstick Campaign was started a year later to celebrate that anniversary and involved women everywhere.
"The Pink Lipstick Campaign promotes breast cancer awareness, highlighting several things. One of those things is making sure women know their risks, also their family history, and also making sure women are proactive in their breast health by making sure they're doing their monthly self-exams and if you're 40 and over, you're doing your mammograms. Also, it encourages breast cancer survivors and thrivers to keep fighting through all stages of the journey."
It's easy to join the #poutwithus campaign. Just coat your lips in pink, take a selfie and post it on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #poutwithus.
"Our goal for Friday, May 15th is to get 2,000 selfies but over 90 days, we would like 20,000 selfies because the number 2 is very significant," Carter said. "The American Cancer Society says on average, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every two minutes. and breast cancer is number 2 in cancers leading in women's deaths."
