Community: Reproductive Rights, Resistance & Resilience
Guest author Calla Hales outlines the importance of standing up for reproductive justice, and how to get involved
Recently, words have been hard to come by. If you have ever had the (dubious) honor of meeting me personally, you know how radically out of character this is for me.
People usually know me as an abortion provider who isn’t afraid to speak out, as an activist passionately defending bodily autonomy, or as a general miscreant who could out-curse a sailor. I’m known for my words, but the continued onslaught of malicious and hateful legislation across the country has overwhelmed me in a way I had never imagined.
It’s impossible to ignore that across this country, personal freedoms are under attack and lives are at stake. There is legislation somewhere being proposed to undercut your rights and your existence. The sheer amount of ignorance and hatred being displayed in our state houses is overwhelming, and that’s by design. If you’re uninformed, it’s easy to believe propaganda. If you’re inundated with propaganda, you’re overwhelmed. If you’re overwhelmed, it’s incredibly hard to fight back.
If we want to survive, we must fight back.
We start that fight now by increasing education about reproductive justice, a framework originated by women and trans folks of color that emphasizes the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.
Project Enough, with support from Levine Museum of the New South and Planned Parenthood South Atlantic among others, is presenting a week of programming discussing various topics that fall under the Reproductive Justice umbrella. These events are free and open to the public, though some of the virtual workshops do require registration. The aim of these programs is to increase knowledge and awareness about the multifaceted and nuanced issues that impact our communities.
If you’re looking for a sign to become more involved in your community, here it is. I hope to see y’all there.
PROJECT ENOUGH PRESENTS
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, RESISTANCE, AND RESILIENCE
SATURDAY, MAY 18TH - 6PM
LIBERTY MURAL AND REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE GALLERY OPENING
VAPA
700 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
TUESDAY, MAY 21ST - 6:30PM
Dignity for Incarcerated Pregnant People: Race, Incarceration, and Reproductive Justice
VIRTUAL WORKSHOP WITH KRISTIE PUCKETT WILLIAMS
REGISTER HERE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 22ND - 6:30PM
SCREENING OF AFTERSHOCK, WITH PANEL DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW
INDEPENDENT PICTURE HOUSE
4237 Raleigh St, Charlotte, NC 28213
