03/25/2026
Brenda Phillips-Hong is truly a blessing! Thank you for leading us forward.
When Brenda Hong was 44, she noticed she was tired a lot. It wasn't the kind of tired that a good night's rest would fix. It was more severe.
Concerned, she had a physical, and her doctor suggested she get a mammogram. Results revealed she had Stage 1 breast cancer. She opted for a lumpectomy.
Two years later in 1992, Brenda was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer again. She had a mastectomy.
As Brenda underwent treatments, she had a support system. But since the disease was not really talked about in social circles in the 1990s, she wondered about those women facing the battle alone.
They had no one to ease their fears. They had no one to hear their cries in the middle of the night. They had no one to offer a prayer or a hug when fighting a disease left them empty.
The silence had to be suffocating, and Brenda was ready to be their air.
In 2010, she created Brenda's Brown Bosom Buddies, a Birmingham support group for African-American women. Over the years, it grew into so much more.
Through its annual Pink Hat and Tie Luncheon, which is held at the Harbert Center in June, the organization raises funding to provide free mammograms for those unable to pay for the screenings. To date, the group has provided more than 400 free mammograms. They have also raised money to cover patients' transportation to the doctor and cancer treatments, home cleaning services for those undergoing treatment and scholarships for the Birmingham Black Nurses Association.
Brenda also started the annual Sistah Strut, which is a breast cancer awareness walk that attracts hundreds to Legion Field in late September to raise even more awareness about the disease. They also host community health forums throughout the year. The next one will be in mid-May at the Oxmoor Valley Community Center.
“The diagnosis doesn’t mean you have to stop living your life,’’ said Brenda, who is now 80. “You can be happy once you realize this is not the end. This can be the beginning of a new journey.’’
The organization partners with donors to provide funding to Birmingham-based breast cancer groups that provide services they do not, including breast cancer research. Just last week, Brenda joined other groups and community leaders for a press conference to celebrate what financial awards and collective awareness look like when people refuse to stay quiet.
"This year, in May, I will be a 34-year breast cancer survivor,'' Brenda said at the press conference. "So, I know it's not a death sentence because I'm living life.''
***One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, which is why breast cancer experts contend that early detection will continue to help save lives. For more information about Brenda's Brown Bosom Buddies, visit wearebbbb.org.
