This young women took social media by storm about 2 months ago….. At least 10 of my IG friends tagged me in her infamous pic so that I can witness first hand the amazingness that is Ericka– a topless woman at the AfroPunk Music Festival with scars on either side of her breasts and no nipples. At the time, I just finished chemo treatments but had not yet had my bilateral (double) mastectomy. I googled and researched, then googled and researched some more but could not find images of young, black mastectomy patients. I was yearning to see what it was I had to look forward to. So when I saw someone who resembled how I would soon look, brown with mastectomy scars, I was taken aback. “Oh we DO exist!”…and not only do we exist, but Ericka was unapologetically letting the world know that you can be a SURVIVOR and be S E X Y! Ericka Hart took her shirt off at Afropunk to not only to be seen as a cancer warrior, but to reclaim her sexuality. “Breast cancer patients are so often painted as walking inspirational beings, thus effacing any opportunity to be seen as sexy or erotic” says the Cancer Slayer. Read the powerful statement made by Ericka about what #SLAYCancer means to her:
I #SLAYCancer by seeing [this] as an opportunity to celebrate all of my intersections BEYOND breast cancer…it’s not all about ‘Pink’. I #SLAYCancer because I want to raise awareness, but I also…still feel really sexy with my body this way, and I want to be received as sexy, not just as a survivor.
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I’m aiming to be a sexy survivor just like Ericka…. a smart, secure, self assured, sexy survivor. To read more about Ericka’s quest to #SLAYCancer, follow her on IG : @IHartEricka
Ericka Hart is a black, queer, Sex Educator, cancer-warrior, performer, and writer. She has her Masters in Human Sexuality from Widener University and has taught sex education from elementary aged youth to adults; across New York City for the past six years.
I #SLAYCancer by seeing it as an opportunity to celebrate all of my intersections BEYOND breast cancer…it’s not all about ‘Pink’ “
