Courtesy of #daywithoutus
If you are enraged, saddened and frustrated over the recent Supreme Court ruling on Roe V. Wade, then #DayWithoutUs is for you. If you’ve grown tired of the ways the government consistently de-prioritizes reproductive rights, climate change, police brutality, voter’s rights and the fundamentals of a fair, safe and clean country, #DayWithoutUs is for you. And if you have the urge to take action but haven’t known how, it is certainly for you. And it’s just a few weeks away.
#DayWithOutUs is a movement being organized by Angela Peoples, Miss Lang and Tiffany Flowers. It all started when the three were on a text thread, discussing other issues of democracy when the Roe V. Wade ruling leaked. Like millions, the women were outraged and deeply saddened. But as they put it, “We don’t agonize. We organize.” And the wheels were put in motion for #DayWithoutUs
Peoples’ connection to the cause was personal and urgent. She was in a hospital bed in Florida facing the threat of a miscarriage when she heard about the Supreme Court ruling. With the clock ticking, she understood that her own life could be at risk if a life-saving abortion became criminalized. And she reminds us that “The people making those decisions [about women’s reproductive rights] have no idea what its like to be dealing with those things in real-time, while also dealing with the emotional impact.” She knew right then she had to take action.
Reproductive Justice — a term coined by Black women — is certainly the impetus for #DayWithoutUs, but it’s about so much more. As Ria Thompson-Washington explains, one of the goals of the day is “To make the connections between all fights for justice, freedom, and safety around the world.” So it’s also about education rights, climate change, voting rights, police brutality and many more systematic issues.
All of these issues are interconnected. However, it is no secret that injustices in these areas consistently impact BIPOC individuals the most. One such policy, in particular, inspired the date for #DayWithoutUs.
Sept. 30 will be the 46th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment, which blocks federal Medicaid from funding abortion services. “It is a policy that will, does, and will always penalize people for being poor…for being Black…for being not able to overcome the many systems that work against them every single day up to and including losing your life for becoming pregnant,” Flowers states.
So, what exactly is #DayWithoutUs? It is a day in which the world can see what it would be like if women removed themselves — their bodies, brilliance and power — from nearly every space. While policymakers continue to govern women’s bodies as if they are second-class citizens, #DayWithoutUs will display just how critical women are to every sector of society. But it’s not just about withholding all that is beautiful about women from society — it’s also about coming together to learn and grow. For the entire day, on DayWithoutUs.com, you will find live content including workshops, speakers and entertainment. Experts from top organizations addressing voting rights, reproductive rights, police brutality and other pressing issues will be speaking, and teaching attendees how they can take action.
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