5 Things Friday
“Anti-choice narratives rely not only on patriarchy, but also on racism to do their work." Here are your antiracism action steps for May 6.
Sooooo...yeah, word around town is that the court has voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, the ruling that first codified abortion rights in the U.S. back in 1973. Which means SCOTUS appears to be about ready to remove our federal right to abortion care. To be clear, an America without Roe is not one where abortion is universally banned, but one with wildly unequal access.
We can't pretend we didn't know this was coming. And we really can't continue to look to a broken justice system to fix it. As The Movement For Black Lives put it: "Our liberation will not come from the courts. We know that reproductive justice for Black people requires more than any one legal right can provide, but history teaches us that the war on Black women, girls, and TGNCI folks serves larger structures of power and domination, including colonialism, chattel slavery, racial capitalism, cisheterosexism, and ableism ... Anti-choice narratives rely not only on patriarchy, but also on racism to do their work."
"We are unequivocal: Full access to abortion care is a necessary component of freedom for all Black people. This fight is not over until we win."
Here are your 5 Things.
FOLLOW THESE. Follow the lead of Black-led organizations likeSister SongandHarriet’s Wildest Dreamsto get involved in actions near you.
MAKE THIS CALL. Phonebank with Showing Up For Racial Justice to send women like Attica Scott to Congress, where they will fight for reproductive rights in Washington.
DONATE TO THIS. The National Network of Abortion Funds is split between 80 communities, so anyone who needs an abortion can get one, no matter what the court rules in the weeks ahead.
READ THIS. There's no better time to deepen your knowledge of the long history of Black women and the fight for abortion rights: In the summer of 1989, 16 Black women made history by publishing the first collective statement advocating for equal access to abortion, “We Remember: African-American Women are for Reproductive Freedom.” Learn about how this brochure sparked the movement for reproductive freedom.
HELP US WITH THIS. One of our favorite local organizations, The Black Neighborhood, reached out to Rep Co because they are looking to get some alcohol sponsors for a TBN Women's Appreciation Brunch at the end of the month. Do you know any winemakers, brewery employees, or folks at spirits companies that would like to help out? They are a 501 (c) (3) so all donations would be tax deductible. Tap your networks and email us ASAP with any leads.