Sister Song: Site Visit #1
I'm in ATLANTA Y'ALL!!!
This trip has been one for the books. I've spent the last three days being surrounded by strong, educated, and motivated black females.
RJ KNOW THE NAME! RJ stands for Reproductive Justice and this is a black female birthed and led movement. The heart of this movement began in 1994 with a group of black females who started the organization called Sister Song.
Sister Song believes that Reproductive Justice is…
A human right. RJ is based on the United Nations’ internationally-accepted Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a comprehensive body of law that details the rights of individuals and the responsibilities of government to protect those rights.
About access, not choice. Mainstream movements have focused on keeping abortion legal as an individual choice. That is necessary, but not enough. Even when abortion is legal, many women of color cannot afford it, or cannot travel hundreds of miles to the nearest clinic. There is no choice where there is no access.
Not just about abortion. Abortion access is critical, and women of color and other marginalized women also often have difficulty accessing: contraception, comprehensive sex education, STI prevention and care, alternative birth options, adequate prenatal and pregnancy care, domestic violence assistance, adequate wages to support our families, safe homes, and so much more.
Just the art on the walls will give you a sense of how empowering it feels to be in the Mother House!
As the Ms. Foundations Parsons Fellow, my job is to help push #TrustBlackWomen, a hashtag that inevitably links back to the RJ movement acting as its roots to the Reproductive Justice movement.
We had beautiful discussions helping me to understand the history of this # and the beginnings of the RJ movement. We also had insightful brainstorming sessions narrowing down the Design Values for this project.
Powerful minds + Powerful conversation + Powerful initiative = Powerful Project.