According to a report from Philadelphia news station ABC 6, Zakia Clark and her sisters were booted from the Philadelphia-area King of Prussia Mall on Sunday. The women were reportedly wearing hats emblazoned with the words “FUCK CANCER” in pink type, though not quite, as the letter c in the word fuck was replaced by a pink ribbon – a well-known symbol of the breast cancer awareness movement. Mall security reportedly asked them to leave, and began arguing with Clark before kicking them out.
The hats were a reference to Clark’s mother, 51-year-old Jackie Underwood, who had just died after a four-year battle with breast cancer. The sisters were reportedly shopping for funeral dresses when they were kicked out of the mall.
Mall management released a statement to ABC 6, saying that the King of Prussia Mall is a “family destination” and that some words, even just suggested ones, “are considered profane and can offend many people.” One of Underwood’s daughters, Makia Underwood, pointed out that clothing with profanity – both explicit and implicit – can be bought within the mall. The mall has since apologized to Clark and her sisters, offering to donate money to a cancer charity.