In the wake of a storm of criticism and an Internet frenzy, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation has officially rescinded its decision to discontinue donating sums to Planned Parenthood for breast screenings. Komen, the largest breast cancer charity in the country, has become synonymous over several decades with the goal of safeguarding women's breast health. The ubiquitous pink ribbons and the related pink products, along with the annual Race for the Cure, have long symbolized Komen's commitment to their mission.
All of that began to unravel three days ago after the fact that the foundation would no longer fund Planned Parenthood became public knowledge. Many people attributed the move to political reasons tied to the abortion issue. Statements and videos from Komen did nothing to assuage the problem, and indeed top Komen officials resigned while the seven Komen chapters in California issued a joint statement about their opposition to the decision.
Now on Friday, the breaking news is that the decision has been reversed. "We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives," a Komen statement said.
The original report to The Associated Press on Tuesday said that Komen was excluding Planned Parenthood from grants because of a government investigation about the possible misuse of taxpayer money to pay for abortions. However, on Friday Komen made clear that it would change its grantmaking policies so that investigations of that nature would not preclude making donations. "We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants," the statement said.
