In the wake of news about the draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade and threaten a well-established right, we are sad and angry about what it means for people whose health, safety, and wellbeing will be jeopardized if decades of legal precedent is undermined. We are also grateful to those who have been working tirelessly for decades to secure the right to abortion, particularly Black and brown organizers.
Some will try to distract us from what’s at stake by focusing on the leak itself. Let us not be distracted. As an organization committed to health equity and racial justice, we cannot ignore how abortion and reproductive rights are deeply connected to the issues and communities we support every day. The right to safe and equitable reproductive rights, including abortion, is a fundamental public health issue and essential to racial and gender justice, and family and community health, safety, and wellbeing. Overturning Roe v. Wade would be a national setback for all of us, and would disproportionately impact Black and brown pregnant people, communities with lower incomes, pregnant people in rural communities, and LGBTQIA+ pregnant people.
Abortion is still legal, but the draft opinion to undermine Roe. v. Wade threatens all that we represent at Prevention Institute, including equity and justice, dignity, and community voice and power.
“There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.” ― Audre Lorde
The leaked document creates a window of opportunity for all of us, as individuals and organizations, to speak out and follow the lead of the organizers, activists, and practitioners who have been working to protect women’s health, dignity, and autonomy for so long. Along with the majority of Americans, we support the right to a safe and legal abortion for all people, regardless of race, income, health insurance, and immigration status. As is always the case, it will take our collective action to ensure even the most basic rights of everyone are protected. We must all call on Congress to codify in law the right to safe, affordable, equitable access to abortion.
We are hopeful that the reality of what’s at stake will connect people within our intertwined movements to support the right to safe and legal abortion now.
For more information, here are a few organizations to support and follow:
