Marcus Christian takes part in the “daily” fight against breast cancer

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

Looking back, Marcus Christian can be honest with himself when it came to breast cancer. “I wasn’t serious,” he said.

His mother, Carolyn Christian, first battled the deadly disease when she was 21. “She fought it and won that fight. Ten years later, I was born,” said Marcus, CEO of Everyday Pink, a breast cancer awareness brand.

Shortly after graduating from Huffman High School in 2003, his mother was diagnosed again. This time the cancer was a little more aggressive than before. She died in the same year at the age of 54.

“God blessed me that she raised me all these years,” Christian said. “I thank God for the time with her because he guided her through her struggle at 21 years old. She was able to raise me and see me graduate from high school, and then she went home. “Her mission was complete.”

Christian attended Alabama State University (ASU) in Montgomery, Alabama, after high school, and his life was not focused, he said.

“I didn’t take breast cancer seriously back then. I didn't take it [my mother] to be seriously ill,” he said. “I had never really seen her sick until that point. My family members and my sister, [LaTonya Anderson]They called and told me, “She's not feeling well.” I never wanted to go home. I never took it seriously and that really haunted me. I didn't take it seriously until she was in the hospital. I visited her and she told me that herself [her situation with cancer] wasn't good. She had that conversation with me and it broke me.”

His mother's death affected Christian so deeply that he did not return to ASU to complete his studies: “I was so mentally messed up because I wasn't there like I should have been,” he said.

Knowing the severity of the disease, Christian said he wanted to do something to raise awareness about breast cancer but didn't know how.

“I would always go there [breast cancer awareness] “I did walks that took place in downtown Birmingham and tried to help people who had various foundations dedicated to the cause, but I didn't know how to do it myself,” he said.

Following his father Howard Christian's death from lung cancer in 2018, Christian said he felt he had a “personal issue with cancer” as he lost both parents to the disease.

“I had to do something”

Then he came up with a plan. Christian combined his love of fashion with his passion for fighting cancer.

“I had to do something,” he said. “I always felt like I had the ability to dress and put outfits together, so I said to myself, 'Let me try to do something different.' Every time I saw a shirt it was plain and simple. I started playing around with Everything Pink in 2021, but only got serious about the brand this year. Everything Pink is a very small company, but the goal is to achieve as much as possible to help as many people as possible.”

Christian was born and grew up in Birmingham. He grew up with his older sister in the Avondale and Woodlawn areas. He attended Gibson Elementary School and Hayes Middle School.

Today, 40-year-old Christian is responsible for everything that has to do with Everyday Pink. “[The name] comes from my feeling that breast cancer awareness should be a daily expression. I wanted a name that embodied this message. People fight breast cancer every day, not just in October. “So why not raise awareness every day that more research is needed?” said Christian.

“I do everything myself,” he added of the company. “I design everything. I choose the sizes and material I want to use. I came up with everything about the embroidery and printing. I found my makers myself; There are three that I use. I send them my designs and they bring them to life.”

Before founding Everyday Pink, Christian worked as a production employee for Honda Motor Company for 18 years.

“It just hasn't been fulfilling for the last five years because I always had it in my head that I wanted to do something different that would somehow make a difference. [Honda] I paid the bills, but it wasn’t fulfilling.”

“Every little bit helps”

Christian hopes to build on the success of Everyday Pink. “My hope is to one day be able to give back to those affected by breast cancer and help them with whatever they need,” he said.

Speaking about his efforts to raise awareness about breast cancer, Christian said: “I want people to understand that the fight never ends. [I also would like them to understand that] When someone dies of breast cancer, it doesn't mean they have lost the battle, just that their job here is finished. So it’s up to us to continue the fight.”

He encourages supporters of the fight against cancer to dedicate their time and donations to “the many nonprofit organizations we have in Birmingham and around the world that are doing important things to advance and strengthen the mission.”

“Every little bit helps,” Christian said. “[It’s important to] Work on self-care to prevent the disease from entering our body, starting with our diet, adequate hydration, [reducing] Stress. [Also]Please keep track of your mammograms. It’s very important for us to spread awareness but also do our part for our own health.”

For more information about Everyday Pink, visit the company's website, everyday-pink.com, Instagram page @everydaypink_awarness or TikTok feed @everydaypink2.