Denver restaurant shines light on breast cancer disparities among Black women

Inside Denver's Five Points neighborhood, the pink ribbons and flowers aren't just decorations - they're a tribute. At Welton Street Café, food feeds your soul, but conversations this month may save your life.

This October, the family-owned restaurant is honoring longtime employee Rhonda Abdullah, who died after battling breast cancer for the second time.

Abdullah worked at Welton Street Café for two decades, becoming a fixture in one of Denver's most iconic Black-owned businesses.

"She was my right hand," said Fatima Dickerson, general manager of Welton Street Café. "There were times it was just me and Rhonda running the restaurant, and she worked through her treatment because she didn't want to be at home.'"

Abdullah was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016. After beating it once, it returned years later. Through it all, Dickerson said, her devotion to service and her community never wavered.

"That was her happiness," Dickerson said. "She'd say, 'We gotta feed the people.' That never changed."

The café has transformed its dining room into a space of remembrance and awareness.

Pink decorations spark conversation and education among diners.

"It's been alarming," Dickerson said. "People walk in and ask, 'Why are you all wearing pink?' They didn't know it was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. That's when I realized how much information still isn't reaching our neighborhoods."

She believes that's part of the problem.

"We're not just serving food. We're serving support," Dickerson said. "We have a responsibility to use our popularity and our space to send a message."

According to the American Cancer Society, Black women are about 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, even though their overall diagnosis rates are similar.

Dr. Kayla Griffith, a surgical oncologist with HealthONE's Rose Medical Center, said the reasons are complex - a mix of biology, access, and systemic inequities.

"Black women tend to present with breast cancer at later stages," Griffith said. "Some of that is due to socioeconomic barriers and access to care. But there's also a biological component. Black women are more likely to develop triple-negative breast cancer, which is more aggressive and harder to treat."

She added that access to screenings makes an enormous difference.

"In states where Medicaid has been expanded, those disparities in death rates almost completely disappear," Griffith said. "That shows how much access matters."

Griffith said early detection remains the strongest defense.

"When we catch breast cancer at Stage 1, survival rates are in the high 90s, even approaching 100%," she said. "But if women delay screening, they're much more likely to be diagnosed at Stage 3 or 4, when treatment is harder and outcomes are worse."

National guidelines now recommend women start annual mammograms at age 40, and earlier if they have a family history or symptoms. Mammograms are covered by insurance under federal law, and several Colorado programs offer low-cost or mobile screening options for uninsured women.

Back at Welton Street Café, the staff has filled the space with Rhonda's favorite color, pink, and her spirit of generosity.

"She had pink plates, pink keychains, she was always showing her strength through color," Dickerson said with a smile. "She fought a hard battle. And even though she's gone, she's still with us. She'd be proud of what we're doing."

For Dickerson, honoring Rhonda isn't just about remembrance - it's about awareness.

"If we can spark one conversation that makes a woman schedule her mammogram, that's how we honor her," she said.