By Samantha Spooner
From – https://theatlantavoice.com/
Reprinted – by Texas Metro News
For nearly 50 years, Roe v. Wade stood as a protector of reproductive rights, holding that women have a constitutional right to an abortion under the 14th Amendment. The right to choose has been a fundamental freedom for those who want to decide their future and make life-saving health decisions. Now, states across the country are putting abortion bans into effect and denying access to care.
As a Black woman attending an all-women’s Historically Black University, Spelman College, I am acutely aware of the disproportionate impact that these bans have on communities of color and other groups who already face systemic barriers to health care. For students like me, it’s critical we speak out against the recent wave of extreme state abortion bans sweeping across the United States, particularly the ban that took effect in the neighboring state of Florida this month. These abortion bans are only possible because of Donald Trump, and defending our reproductive rights starts with reelecting a president and vice president who support a woman’s right to choose.
As Florida’s extreme abortion ban takes effect, collectively, we are facing a breaking point. As some leaders boast about overturning Roe and take credit for these extreme state abortion bans, we need to make it clear – they are forcing women into perilous situations, placing their health, privacy, families, and, most importantly, their lives in jeopardy. These bans represent a dangerous erosion of the rights and liberties that generations of women have fought so hard to secure.
Now that Roe has been overturned, I am part of a generation that has fewer rights than my mother’s, forced to fight the same battles my grandmother fought. I stand with millions of Americans who face a less free future than the one we were born into, staring down a future where our lives are no longer ours to determine. As Black women, we are uplifted by the legacy of trailblazers who valiantly fought for our rights to education, employment, and the power of self-determination. It is our duty to honor their struggle and sacrifices by persistently advocating for reproductive justice, ensuring their efforts resonate through future generations.
Abortion bans not only threaten our ability to make decisions about our own bodies but also perpetuate cycles of systemic injustice and oppression. They make getting reproductive care more difficult and make the delivery room even more dangerous for Black women – who already suffer from maternal mortality rates that are much higher than white women. Unfortunately, the assault on reproductive rights is not new, but recent legislative actions have escalated the threat to a level that demands our immediate attention and action. In Georgia, where I reside and attend school, the passage of stringent abortion bans has sent shockwaves through our communities. These bans not only rip away access to abortion but also criminalize doctors who provide reproductive health care.
In the face of this assault, we must take action and use our political voice to counter these attacks. We cannot afford to be silent or complacent in the face of injustice. We must use our platforms and our collective power to demand change. This means organizing, mobilizing, and advocating for policies that protect and expand reproductive rights for all – and most importantly, it means exercising our right to vote and reelecting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, who unequivocally support and will fight to protect women’s reproductive rights.
As a Spelman woman, I am a leader, advocate, and change agent. This means I cannot disregard the injustices happening in our communities. It’s essential to stand in solidarity with women from all over the country who are fighting for their reproductive rights and join them in the struggle for justice and equity. Audre Lorde said, “Your silence will not protect you.” It is time to break the silence, speak truth to power, and fight for all people’s rights and dignity. Together, we can and will build a future where everyone can make decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures.
Samantha Spooner is a sophomore attending Spelman College in Atlanta. The views and opinions expressed are her own.
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