Everything Else Can Wait: Pink Warriors Bring a Message of Hope and Action to Linden

Superintendent Perkins joins community leaders and survivors to open Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOL, NJ – Oct. 1, 2026 – They came in pink, carrying stories of diagnosis, determination and survival. On the steps of Linden City Hall (Oct. 1), the Pink Warriors asked residents to make room for something too easily pushed aside: their own health.

Superintendent Dr. Atiya Y. Perkins joined the survivors and advocates with a message of support, connecting their courage to a lesson she shares with students about moving forward after a setback.

“It is key that we understand that we must put ourselves first,” Perkins said. “Your mission that everything else can wait resonates well beyond the day, this month of October for breast cancer awareness.”

The 3 p.m. gathering brought Perkins together with Mayor Derek Armstead, Police Chief David Hart, Fire Chief William Hasko Jr., healthcare professionals and advocates for the “Everything Else Can Wait” statewide education and awareness tour.

Taking the Message on the Road

Radio personality Liz Black of 107.5 WBLS hosted each stop, lending her voice to a campaign centered on breast health, screening and early detection.

In Linden, she encouraged those nearby to come closer, welcomed speakers and urged listeners to reach out to a friend with a practical question: Have you scheduled your mammogram?

PINK Breast Centers’ Pink Warriors, breast cancer survivors who advocate for screening and early detection, were central to the tour. Jungle Communications helped organize the day’s outreach, according to marketing and events intern Amy Henriques.

Henriques said the traveling group included about seven women who were survivors or had a loved one affected by breast cancer. Their purpose was to honor those lost, support those facing the disease and encourage busy people to make time for care.

The statewide campaign featured six presentations in Jersey City, Paterson, Montclair, West Orange, Linden and Rahway. A caravan carrying the campaign’s message was scheduled to pass through 20 New Jersey communities. PINK Breast Centers described the effort as a way to connect underserved communities with breast health information and resources.

Resilience, Shared Out Loud

Looking across the gathering, Perkins thanked participants for turning their experiences into advocacy.

“What I share with students all the time is that their setback is not their ending,” she said. “It is really their setup.”

She recognized the survivors’ determination to stand up and speak out, assuring them that their efforts had the school community’s support.

“So as you continue to stand, you continue to smile, and you continue to come back, just know that we support you all,” Perkins said.

Her remarks connected naturally to resilience and relationships within the district’s ROAR initiative. Here, those values took a specific form: sharing a difficult experience, listening without judgment and helping someone take the next step.

A Survivor’s Call to Speak Up

Janelle Adams knows what it means to insist on being heard.

Adams said she was diagnosed at 33 with stage three triple-negative breast cancer after repeatedly advocating for a mammogram despite being considered too young for routine screening.

“I was too young for a mammogram, but I advocated for myself,” she said.

Now three years in remission, Adams urged young women to know their bodies and persist when they have concerns. She also highlighted barriers to care and PINK Breast Centers’ service to underserved communities.

A breast surgeon speaking at the event addressed another obstacle: fear. She described patients worried about screening, a possible diagnosis and what might follow.

“Today, I encourage all of you to find someone who’s scared,” she said. “Talk to them. Ask them why. See how you can support them because everything else can wait.”

Linden Stands Together

Armstead emphasized that awareness requires a commitment from the whole community.

“Raising awareness is not just a civic duty. It’s a heartfelt commitment for this group,” he said. “We owe it to one another, everyone in our city, to make sure that everybody is aware.”

Hasko compared acting on personal health concerns with the urgency firefighters bring to an emergency call.

“Clear your schedule. Call your doctor. Make that appointment,” Hasko said. “When it comes to saving your own life, everything else can wait.”

For Linden Public Schools, the gathering reinforced the importance of community relationships that support the people behind the school day: families, caregivers, staff and neighbors. It also offered examples of self-advocacy and service, with survivors using their experiences to help others.

As the event ended, participants gathered for a photograph and a shared declaration.

“Everything else can wait.”