The Huffington Post | Hunter Stuart
Posted: 07-27-10 02:11 PM
Video by Hunter Stuart ATLANTA -- A Catholic anti-abortion group used the site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s grave on Saturday for a large rally to protest against legalized abortion. The group, Priests for Life, gathered together with dozens of supporters early Saturday morning at a Planned Parenthood facility in Birmingham, AL. (Photo to left: Priests For Life outside a Birmingham Planned Parenthood) "Martin Luther King, Jr. was an advocate for the oppressed, and no one is more oppressed than the 52 million unborn children who have been killed in the womb," said Denis Wilde, the Associate Director of Priests for Life, and an Augustinian priest. "The womb is the most dangerous place to live." Other speakers at the rally quoted Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence. One priest stated, "The Supreme Court has been the cause of extreme violence in this country." Several of the anti-abortion protestors carried signs proclaiming "Abortion is the #1 killer of Blacks in America." After hours of speeches advocating against abortion, the group boarded a bus emblazoned with the words "Pro Life Freedom Ride" and drove to MLK's tomb in Atlanta, 150 miles away. The "Pro Life Freedom Ride" was a reference to the Freedom Rides of the 1960's, when civil rights activists rode interstate buses in the South to advocate for racial equality. When the "Pro Life Freedom Ride" bus reached Atlanta, there was a group of pro-choice protestors from the groups SisterSong, SPARK, and SisterLove waiting there to meet them. The pro-choice groups chanted "Trust black women!" and "Can't Re-Write History!" through a megaphone. "No one has the right to co-opt the legacy of Dr. King," Heidi Williamson of SisterSong said. "We are all benefactors, especially black women." "I've studied civil rights, and I never heard Fannie Lou Hamer or Dr. King or Ella Baker or anyone try to take our rights away from us," a pro-choice activist named Etget told me. The anti-abortion Catholic group was stopped by security when it attempted to lay a wreath on Dr. King's tomb.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Anti-Abortion Rally at MLK Gravesite Protested by Reproductive Justice Activists
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/26/anti-abortion-rally-at-ml_n_659823.html
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Black Abortion Battleground: Georgia
As seen on Huffington Post-
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sexual-justice/are-black-children-an-end_b_515075.html?ref=fb&src=sp
by Heidi Williamson, National Advocacy Coordinator of SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective
The black community is the frequent testing ground for bad legislation and restrictive medical policies. But this time, according to sponsors and anti-abortionists, its purpose is to stop discrimination - before birth.
Anti-abortion activists and legislators in the Georgia General Assembly are seeking pass Senate Bill 529, the OBGYN Criminalization & Racial Discrimination Act. With the same bill stalled in the House, Republicans are working fiercely to fast-track SB 529 through the Senate with the hopes of restricting the rights of African-American women by name and all women by intent.
Both bills 1) prevent the abortion of a fetus based on race, color, or sex, 2) penalize medical professionals for alleged "criminal coercion" of women seeking abortions, and 3) impede women of color from accessing their constitutionally-protected right to abortion.
Both bills suggest that abortion providers solicit and coerce African-American women for the sole purpose of aborting black babies. Both bills exploit African-American women and discriminate against them in hopes of confounding leaders in the African-American community, and splitting the black vote during mid-term elections. Both bills have galvanized women of color from across the state to protect abortion access in Georgia.
Watching hypocrisy in action is quite the farce. But for African American women in Georgia, this skit is not funny and could have dire consequences.
Publicly, white Republican men claim to care about pregnant black women who are allegedly being targeted by the abortion industry. Privately, those same men scramble to "opt Georgia out" of national healthcare reform and find the perfect wedge issue for the mid-term elections to build the Republican base in African-American communities.
These bills are constitutionally inadequate, despite the sponsors' best efforts to amend vague concepts. Fundamentally, both bills interfere with a woman's constitutional right to access abortion based on speculation about her reasons.
Speaking against the bill, Lynn Hogue, a constitutional law professor at Georgia State University said, "You cannot carve out particular reasons and make them 'unlawful' based on a vague definition that they are 'coercive'."
Second, both bills mandate racial profiling of African American women under the guise of "preventing coercion." This legislation will force providers to question each patient about the reason she seeks an abortion and violate patient confidentiality.
Finally, the bill introduces the concept of "unlawful coercion" without further definition and makes the undefined action subject to serious criminal penalties. The results of these bills will lead to the lack of access to abortion services for African American women.
The most alarming fact of all: They say they want to protect black children by discriminating against black women. We are not fools and we are not amused. The only reality that matters is this: Our lived experiences drive how and when we choose abortion, not abortion providers.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sexual-justice/are-black-children-an-end_b_515075.html?ref=fb&src=sp
by Heidi Williamson, National Advocacy Coordinator of SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective
The black community is the frequent testing ground for bad legislation and restrictive medical policies. But this time, according to sponsors and anti-abortionists, its purpose is to stop discrimination - before birth.
Anti-abortion activists and legislators in the Georgia General Assembly are seeking pass Senate Bill 529, the OBGYN Criminalization & Racial Discrimination Act. With the same bill stalled in the House, Republicans are working fiercely to fast-track SB 529 through the Senate with the hopes of restricting the rights of African-American women by name and all women by intent.
Both bills 1) prevent the abortion of a fetus based on race, color, or sex, 2) penalize medical professionals for alleged "criminal coercion" of women seeking abortions, and 3) impede women of color from accessing their constitutionally-protected right to abortion.
Both bills suggest that abortion providers solicit and coerce African-American women for the sole purpose of aborting black babies. Both bills exploit African-American women and discriminate against them in hopes of confounding leaders in the African-American community, and splitting the black vote during mid-term elections. Both bills have galvanized women of color from across the state to protect abortion access in Georgia.
Watching hypocrisy in action is quite the farce. But for African American women in Georgia, this skit is not funny and could have dire consequences.
Publicly, white Republican men claim to care about pregnant black women who are allegedly being targeted by the abortion industry. Privately, those same men scramble to "opt Georgia out" of national healthcare reform and find the perfect wedge issue for the mid-term elections to build the Republican base in African-American communities.
These bills are constitutionally inadequate, despite the sponsors' best efforts to amend vague concepts. Fundamentally, both bills interfere with a woman's constitutional right to access abortion based on speculation about her reasons.
Speaking against the bill, Lynn Hogue, a constitutional law professor at Georgia State University said, "You cannot carve out particular reasons and make them 'unlawful' based on a vague definition that they are 'coercive'."
Second, both bills mandate racial profiling of African American women under the guise of "preventing coercion." This legislation will force providers to question each patient about the reason she seeks an abortion and violate patient confidentiality.
Finally, the bill introduces the concept of "unlawful coercion" without further definition and makes the undefined action subject to serious criminal penalties. The results of these bills will lead to the lack of access to abortion services for African American women.
The most alarming fact of all: They say they want to protect black children by discriminating against black women. We are not fools and we are not amused. The only reality that matters is this: Our lived experiences drive how and when we choose abortion, not abortion providers.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
To Race or Not to Race?
For years, my friends have been telling me that Garland and I would make a great couple for the Amazing Race. After watching an episode or 2, I must say that it seems a bit "not me". But I am open. And anything involving my sweety makes it that much more interesting, not to mention, we fight like cats and dogs only to find passion later. At any rate, what do you think? Should we race, well, audition for the race or not? I would love your feedback.
Friday, February 19, 2010
SisterSong OPPOSES HB 1155
SisterSong is a national organization of Indigenous women and women of color and allied organizations and individuals working for Reproductive Justice. Our core principles are threefold: We believe that every woman has the human right to choose if and when she will have a baby and the conditions under which she will give birth; the human right to decide if she will not have a baby and her options for preventing or ending a pregnancy; and, the human right to parent the children she already has with the necessary social supports to do so. By utilizing a framework based on human rights, we approach reproductive health through a social justice lens. This means that the ability of any woman to determine her own reproductive destiny is directly linked to the conditions in her community and these conditions are not just a matter of individual choice and access.
I urge this committee to vote NO on HB 1155. The false assumption that abortion providers throughout the state “solicit” women of color is unfounded and inflammatory. We recognize that the lived experiences of women of color, and black women specifically, drive how and when women choose abortion, not abortion providers who defend women’s rights. In order to protect the lives of women and families, abortion must remain safe, legal, affordable, and accessible.
We are acutely aware of the reality that African American women make up a significant number of abortions in the state of Georgia, but these numbers should be looked at in context. First, the high rates of abortions in Georgia reflect the reality of the lack of human rights protections that exist for black women in Georgia. The lack of access to social services, lack of contraception, sexual violence within the community, lack of comprehensive sex education, and lack of pregnancy prevention programs increasingly impact reproductive health outcomes for women of color in general, and black women in particular. Second, Georgia’s high abortion rate is a reflection of limited abortion services in the Southern Region. As access to abortion is rolled back in neighboring states like Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama with large African American populations, Georgia by comparison has more accessibility to such services. According to the Guttmacher Institute, Georgia’s abortion data is made up of BOTH Georgia residents and women from other states, so the abortions rate is not a true reflection of our residents. And while Atlanta offers the best abortion access in the Deep South, we still lag
behind other regions in guaranteeing abortion access for women. Third, African Americans make up 27% of people living in poverty and 34% of the uninsured in Georgia. The real focus of all Georgians should be to transform the conditions of our society that impede Black women’s access to quality and safe healthcare; the ability to raise children in a safe and healthy environment and to have our birthing experiences be positive and safe. This legislation will further exacerbate problems within communities of color that require a comprehensive approach, while racially discriminating against black women to do so.
HB 1155 will virtually make all abortions obtained by women of color, particularly black women, subject to criminal investigation, which will further impact women of color who already have limited access to health care and reproductive health services. Doctors will have an additional burden, beyond the current law, of proving they are not attempting to “solicit”, which will delay medical services for women of color and impoverished women. Furthermore, Black women who choose abortion are not upholding genocide but are seeking autonomy to have the right to better conditions under which we birth and raise our children. Such conditions include: better wages, better healthcare and the fundamental human rights to housing, food security and physical safety that lift us out of poverty and a racist society that deems us as less than human and fit only for labor.
HB1155 also prohibits sex-selection abortions. While sex and gender discrimination are widespread societal problems, the women of Georgia would be greatly harmed by such a ban. This ban will make it more difficult for women to obtain reproductive health services by forcing providers to change or limit their provision of care and to question each patient about the reason she seeks an abortion. In addition, all of these bans could result in increased questioning of all women seeking legal abortion services -- and the barrier to access could cause them to seek illegal and unsafe abortions elsewhere. Even proposals that do not mention race selection provide opportunity for increased discrimination against women of color; for example, Asian and Asian-American women could be assumed to be more likely to seek sex selective or race selective abortions and could face intrusive questions about their motives. Sex selection is a symptom of deeply rooted social norms, biased stereotypes and inequality. Prohibiting sex selective abortions is a thinly disguised anti-choice strategy to make restricting abortion access seem more sympathetic. It does nothing to address the root causes of this issue, gender inequality, discrimination, and stereotyping.
In our communities’ struggle for reproductive justice, Indigenous women and women of color have a unique history that we must remember in order to ensure bodily sovereignty, dignity, and collective uplift of our community. The choices that Indigenous women and women of color make are based on their lived experiences in this country and reflect multiple oppressions, including race, class, and gender, and our efforts to resist them. It is unacceptable to speak to the reproductive needs of any woman, or her children without taking into consideration the realities that exist in her home and local community. Thank you.
Heidi Williamson
National Advocacy Coordinator
SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective
heidi@sistersong.net
I urge this committee to vote NO on HB 1155. The false assumption that abortion providers throughout the state “solicit” women of color is unfounded and inflammatory. We recognize that the lived experiences of women of color, and black women specifically, drive how and when women choose abortion, not abortion providers who defend women’s rights. In order to protect the lives of women and families, abortion must remain safe, legal, affordable, and accessible.
We are acutely aware of the reality that African American women make up a significant number of abortions in the state of Georgia, but these numbers should be looked at in context. First, the high rates of abortions in Georgia reflect the reality of the lack of human rights protections that exist for black women in Georgia. The lack of access to social services, lack of contraception, sexual violence within the community, lack of comprehensive sex education, and lack of pregnancy prevention programs increasingly impact reproductive health outcomes for women of color in general, and black women in particular. Second, Georgia’s high abortion rate is a reflection of limited abortion services in the Southern Region. As access to abortion is rolled back in neighboring states like Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama with large African American populations, Georgia by comparison has more accessibility to such services. According to the Guttmacher Institute, Georgia’s abortion data is made up of BOTH Georgia residents and women from other states, so the abortions rate is not a true reflection of our residents. And while Atlanta offers the best abortion access in the Deep South, we still lag
behind other regions in guaranteeing abortion access for women. Third, African Americans make up 27% of people living in poverty and 34% of the uninsured in Georgia. The real focus of all Georgians should be to transform the conditions of our society that impede Black women’s access to quality and safe healthcare; the ability to raise children in a safe and healthy environment and to have our birthing experiences be positive and safe. This legislation will further exacerbate problems within communities of color that require a comprehensive approach, while racially discriminating against black women to do so.
HB 1155 will virtually make all abortions obtained by women of color, particularly black women, subject to criminal investigation, which will further impact women of color who already have limited access to health care and reproductive health services. Doctors will have an additional burden, beyond the current law, of proving they are not attempting to “solicit”, which will delay medical services for women of color and impoverished women. Furthermore, Black women who choose abortion are not upholding genocide but are seeking autonomy to have the right to better conditions under which we birth and raise our children. Such conditions include: better wages, better healthcare and the fundamental human rights to housing, food security and physical safety that lift us out of poverty and a racist society that deems us as less than human and fit only for labor.
HB1155 also prohibits sex-selection abortions. While sex and gender discrimination are widespread societal problems, the women of Georgia would be greatly harmed by such a ban. This ban will make it more difficult for women to obtain reproductive health services by forcing providers to change or limit their provision of care and to question each patient about the reason she seeks an abortion. In addition, all of these bans could result in increased questioning of all women seeking legal abortion services -- and the barrier to access could cause them to seek illegal and unsafe abortions elsewhere. Even proposals that do not mention race selection provide opportunity for increased discrimination against women of color; for example, Asian and Asian-American women could be assumed to be more likely to seek sex selective or race selective abortions and could face intrusive questions about their motives. Sex selection is a symptom of deeply rooted social norms, biased stereotypes and inequality. Prohibiting sex selective abortions is a thinly disguised anti-choice strategy to make restricting abortion access seem more sympathetic. It does nothing to address the root causes of this issue, gender inequality, discrimination, and stereotyping.
In our communities’ struggle for reproductive justice, Indigenous women and women of color have a unique history that we must remember in order to ensure bodily sovereignty, dignity, and collective uplift of our community. The choices that Indigenous women and women of color make are based on their lived experiences in this country and reflect multiple oppressions, including race, class, and gender, and our efforts to resist them. It is unacceptable to speak to the reproductive needs of any woman, or her children without taking into consideration the realities that exist in her home and local community. Thank you.
Heidi Williamson
National Advocacy Coordinator
SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective
heidi@sistersong.net
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
I Changed the World Today...
If you have been wondering what I have been up to lately, it's simple. Taking down anti-abortion activists terrorizing black women in black neighborhoods. In case you haven't heard, Georgia Right to Life, the Radiance Foundation, and Operation Outrage launched a campaign to demonize and shame black women. I have been on a media whirlwind since they have gone up. And tonight, the signs came down!
Now for those of you who have been living under a rock, here are the facts:
1-Thursday of last week GA Right to Life, a anti-abortion group) unveiled their new ad campaign, the Endangered Species Project. 35 billboards went up with the face of a black child and the slogan, "Black Children are an Endangered Species". The goal was to post 80 signs by the end of the month across the state and build support for the legislation they would drop this week.
2-Since Thursday, my co-workers and I have made an appearences on MSNBC(Click here: http://nyti.ms/8YFMFb ) WAOK 1380 AM, NPR, and several newspapers talking about these horrible ads. With the help of these appearences and our local allies we were quickly able to educate people and motivate the black community to speak out about these signs, which were strategically placed in black neighborhoods.
3-Today, the legislation dropped which would prosecute abortion providers from targeting black women and encouraging them to have abortions. The bill would in essence alter the racketeering laws of the state and create a new catergory of crime called criminal abortions.
4-This afternoon afternoon, though I received a call that CBS was removing the signs because the public outrage was so strong.
I have to say, I am amazed at the challenges I have had this week explaining reproductive rights as they relate to the black community. First of all, to call black children "a species" is racist and unacceptable on its face. Anthrolopologically speaking, human beings are a species. Everyone knows this. But a race of people, particularly one that has to overcome hundreds of year of racial degredation, is not a species. Black children are not animals in the wild to be objectified or exotised, and such comparisons must be challenged.
Secondly, these billboards are sexist. They imply that black women are murders of our children and perpatrators of genocide. And what must a woman who has had an abortion think as she passes these billboards? Most are shamed and blamed as their lived experiences are overlooked and ignored. My passion this week came from the desire to protect black women from the psychological warfare taking place in the intersections of black Atlanta. We approach reproductive health based on the context our lives and state of our community. This means that abortion is not an isolated subject, nor is it easy choice to make. And to watch the Radiance Foundation and GRTL oversimply those experiences was an insult to me, my mother, grandmother, and all the women in my life that have had to made hard decisions regarding their health.
Whether you agree or disagree with my position, I hope that you can see that the subject matter can be approached in a more empowering and humanizing way that is respectful to women and the lives we live. I have learned this week that dialogue is important but only if both sides are willing to listen and truly understand. As a result CBS claims that the signs will come down. While they have yet to give us a timeline for when all of the signs will come down, I am resolved to make it happen. Between now and then, I am actively working to defeat legislation that could be harmful to black women in the state of Georgia.
I changed the world today. What contribution will you make? A Black Girl Named Heidi
Now for those of you who have been living under a rock, here are the facts:
1-Thursday of last week GA Right to Life, a anti-abortion group) unveiled their new ad campaign, the Endangered Species Project. 35 billboards went up with the face of a black child and the slogan, "Black Children are an Endangered Species". The goal was to post 80 signs by the end of the month across the state and build support for the legislation they would drop this week.
2-Since Thursday, my co-workers and I have made an appearences on MSNBC(Click here: http://nyti.ms/8YFMFb ) WAOK 1380 AM, NPR, and several newspapers talking about these horrible ads. With the help of these appearences and our local allies we were quickly able to educate people and motivate the black community to speak out about these signs, which were strategically placed in black neighborhoods.
3-Today, the legislation dropped which would prosecute abortion providers from targeting black women and encouraging them to have abortions. The bill would in essence alter the racketeering laws of the state and create a new catergory of crime called criminal abortions.
4-This afternoon afternoon, though I received a call that CBS was removing the signs because the public outrage was so strong.
I have to say, I am amazed at the challenges I have had this week explaining reproductive rights as they relate to the black community. First of all, to call black children "a species" is racist and unacceptable on its face. Anthrolopologically speaking, human beings are a species. Everyone knows this. But a race of people, particularly one that has to overcome hundreds of year of racial degredation, is not a species. Black children are not animals in the wild to be objectified or exotised, and such comparisons must be challenged.
Secondly, these billboards are sexist. They imply that black women are murders of our children and perpatrators of genocide. And what must a woman who has had an abortion think as she passes these billboards? Most are shamed and blamed as their lived experiences are overlooked and ignored. My passion this week came from the desire to protect black women from the psychological warfare taking place in the intersections of black Atlanta. We approach reproductive health based on the context our lives and state of our community. This means that abortion is not an isolated subject, nor is it easy choice to make. And to watch the Radiance Foundation and GRTL oversimply those experiences was an insult to me, my mother, grandmother, and all the women in my life that have had to made hard decisions regarding their health.
Whether you agree or disagree with my position, I hope that you can see that the subject matter can be approached in a more empowering and humanizing way that is respectful to women and the lives we live. I have learned this week that dialogue is important but only if both sides are willing to listen and truly understand. As a result CBS claims that the signs will come down. While they have yet to give us a timeline for when all of the signs will come down, I am resolved to make it happen. Between now and then, I am actively working to defeat legislation that could be harmful to black women in the state of Georgia.
I changed the world today. What contribution will you make? A Black Girl Named Heidi
Thursday, February 4, 2010
My Birthday Manifesto: "Bold Visions, Great Acts"
Each year I try to approach my birthday with optimism and flare with "try" being the optimal word. Now don't get me wrong, I am not one of those women who loathe getting older and refuses to tell others her age. Nor am I that woman counting the hours, days, and weeks until I get married and have babies, ready to sound the ALARM if it doesn't happen by a certain date. At this juncture, I am honest enough with myself to admit career anxiety is a major contributing factor. Why? You are what you do in this society. And each rung on the ladder that most of us climb unfortunately is associated with a specific age.
Now for those of you reading this who have either: (1) somehow missed the proliferation of reality TV where a person's dreams (i.e. marriage, singing/fashion/modeling career, working for a narcissistic CEO) becomes a reality in 15 episodes or less; (2) avoided the media attention on the multiple generations of young and rich kids becoming famous BECAUSE they were born pretty, rich, and the offspring of a real celeb; OR, (3) actually believe your current career/job is your path to happiness and abundance --- please excuse the confessions of this post-civil rights, Gen X’er. Like most people in/around/influenced by/engaged with the U.S. it is a challenge NOT to judge ourselves on the arbitrary guidelines created by media industries. We watch a twenty-something on “American Idol” become an overnight superstar, yet return to our daily lives where success and validation often take years to produce. And each one of us process the "fallacy of success" in our own way, never knowing how close we are to someone’s finish line of accomplishment. In this respect each birthday presents a new, different challenge for me.
And on this 33rd birthday, I have another unique pressure. More than five people have reminded me that this is the alleged year that Jesus died, as if I can actually compete with Him. As far as standards go, who in the hell can top that? Let me be clear, I don't have a problem aspiring to be like Jesus. It is a noble quest that I hope everyone recognizes in my commitment to my community and injustice. But even the most devout priest might admit the standard of Christ's 33rd year is a bit high, as it was the tipping point for a revolution (at the time) called Christianity.
Now don’t get me wrong, JC was the MAN, literally - a revolutionary, a spiritual and activist force that profoundly influenced a political state, a teacher, mentor, and friend. There is no better standard for one to aspire to be like. But he is a standard for Greatness. And I am conditioned to prioritize success as my top standard. Success has become the mantra of the post-civil rights poster children, myself included. Why? On the one hand, success is easier to define and chronicle than Greatness. On the other hand, most people of color, and black folk in particular, that aspire to TOO MUCH Greatness, die really young. So, what is a black girl named Heidi, who is hell bent on changing the world, do with this conundrum? She struggles to balance the two.
In celebrating this birthday, I have decided on the theme, "Bold Visions, Great Acts". It is applicable to my life in several ways – family, faith, relationships, career, but the short of it is "to try the impossible." I want to do that thing, that one impossible task that appears out of reach and unattainable but by a thread of hope, and see how far I get. Many things have been declared impossible, and a religion was created that permeates every aspect of society whether you identify as a Christian or not. A civil rights movement changed a nation and 60 years later a black president was elected in the U.S. This theme also is a commitment to “love more of the ride, regardless of the outcome”. Only the control freaks understand this and that is okay. But as a person who is called on, depended upon, and ask to fix other people bulls*^t on a regular basis, I can assure you that enjoying the process of things (i.e. how things get done) is secondary to an effective outcome. The problem is that when you achieve certain success, you are sometimes too exhausted to truly enjoy it. I choose less of that and more of the moments that are sometimes lost forever. I love my life and most of the people in it. In this new year of mine, though, I want to experience it as never before. After all, I am bold and I am great. ~ A Black Girl Named Heidi
Now for those of you reading this who have either: (1) somehow missed the proliferation of reality TV where a person's dreams (i.e. marriage, singing/fashion/modeling career, working for a narcissistic CEO) becomes a reality in 15 episodes or less; (2) avoided the media attention on the multiple generations of young and rich kids becoming famous BECAUSE they were born pretty, rich, and the offspring of a real celeb; OR, (3) actually believe your current career/job is your path to happiness and abundance --- please excuse the confessions of this post-civil rights, Gen X’er. Like most people in/around/influenced by/engaged with the U.S. it is a challenge NOT to judge ourselves on the arbitrary guidelines created by media industries. We watch a twenty-something on “American Idol” become an overnight superstar, yet return to our daily lives where success and validation often take years to produce. And each one of us process the "fallacy of success" in our own way, never knowing how close we are to someone’s finish line of accomplishment. In this respect each birthday presents a new, different challenge for me.
And on this 33rd birthday, I have another unique pressure. More than five people have reminded me that this is the alleged year that Jesus died, as if I can actually compete with Him. As far as standards go, who in the hell can top that? Let me be clear, I don't have a problem aspiring to be like Jesus. It is a noble quest that I hope everyone recognizes in my commitment to my community and injustice. But even the most devout priest might admit the standard of Christ's 33rd year is a bit high, as it was the tipping point for a revolution (at the time) called Christianity.
Now don’t get me wrong, JC was the MAN, literally - a revolutionary, a spiritual and activist force that profoundly influenced a political state, a teacher, mentor, and friend. There is no better standard for one to aspire to be like. But he is a standard for Greatness. And I am conditioned to prioritize success as my top standard. Success has become the mantra of the post-civil rights poster children, myself included. Why? On the one hand, success is easier to define and chronicle than Greatness. On the other hand, most people of color, and black folk in particular, that aspire to TOO MUCH Greatness, die really young. So, what is a black girl named Heidi, who is hell bent on changing the world, do with this conundrum? She struggles to balance the two.
In celebrating this birthday, I have decided on the theme, "Bold Visions, Great Acts". It is applicable to my life in several ways – family, faith, relationships, career, but the short of it is "to try the impossible." I want to do that thing, that one impossible task that appears out of reach and unattainable but by a thread of hope, and see how far I get. Many things have been declared impossible, and a religion was created that permeates every aspect of society whether you identify as a Christian or not. A civil rights movement changed a nation and 60 years later a black president was elected in the U.S. This theme also is a commitment to “love more of the ride, regardless of the outcome”. Only the control freaks understand this and that is okay. But as a person who is called on, depended upon, and ask to fix other people bulls*^t on a regular basis, I can assure you that enjoying the process of things (i.e. how things get done) is secondary to an effective outcome. The problem is that when you achieve certain success, you are sometimes too exhausted to truly enjoy it. I choose less of that and more of the moments that are sometimes lost forever. I love my life and most of the people in it. In this new year of mine, though, I want to experience it as never before. After all, I am bold and I am great. ~ A Black Girl Named Heidi
Friday, January 22, 2010
SisterSong Salutes the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade
SisterSong salutes the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his tireless efforts to foster a human rights movement here in the United States. He believed in an America where all oppressed people should have a voice and eradicate the injustice of discrimination. As a SisterSong member, activist, organizer, and friend it is important for you to remember Dr. King's commitment to human rights, in general, and women's rights in particular. As today marks the 37th Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, we recognize the profound impact that both the life of Dr. King and the landmark decision of Roe vs. Wade had on communities of color seeking better lives and human rights protection under law. SisterSong is proud to be a leader in the human rights movement by fighting for the human rights of all women though our Reproductive Justice framework. We commemorate this great man's legacy through our education, advocacy, and organizing efforts of Indigenous women and women of color throughout the U.S.
In 1966, Dr. King wrote that family planning was a "special and urgent concern" for African Americans and was "a profoundly important ingredient in [our] quest for security and a decent life."(Solinger, 177) Additionally, in 1977 Coretta Scott noted, "Despite some gains made in the past 200 years...man-made barriers, laws, social customs and prejudices continue to keep a majority of women in an inferior position without full control of our lives and bodies." Both of these icons knew that the lives of women mattered and understood the need for a new agenda that prioritized the lives of women.
In that vein, we also remember Pauline Shirley, Rosie Jimenez, and Becky Bell whose lives were cut short due to illegal/self-induced abortions.
_________________________
* In 1940, Pauline Shirley, a Black married mother of six, died after having an illegal abortion in Arizona. After she began hemorrhaging, her mother took her to the hospital. She bled to death while waiting for a blood transfusion.
* In 1977, Rosie Jimenez was the first woman to die from a self-induced abortion after the Hyde Amendment was passed, which cut off Medicaid funding to women on public assistance. Unable to pay for a private procedure at a private clinic, she died from a botched illegal abortion.
* In 1988, Becky Bell was a young victim of an Indiana state law that required parental consent for a minor to obtain an abortion. Too afraid to tell her parents, she sought an illegal abortion. She died at the age of 17 from massive infections.
_______________________
In 1966, Dr. King wrote that family planning was a "special and urgent concern" for African Americans and was "a profoundly important ingredient in [our] quest for security and a decent life."(Solinger, 177) Additionally, in 1977 Coretta Scott noted, "Despite some gains made in the past 200 years...man-made barriers, laws, social customs and prejudices continue to keep a majority of women in an inferior position without full control of our lives and bodies." Both of these icons knew that the lives of women mattered and understood the need for a new agenda that prioritized the lives of women.
In that vein, we also remember Pauline Shirley, Rosie Jimenez, and Becky Bell whose lives were cut short due to illegal/self-induced abortions.
_________________________
* In 1940, Pauline Shirley, a Black married mother of six, died after having an illegal abortion in Arizona. After she began hemorrhaging, her mother took her to the hospital. She bled to death while waiting for a blood transfusion.
* In 1977, Rosie Jimenez was the first woman to die from a self-induced abortion after the Hyde Amendment was passed, which cut off Medicaid funding to women on public assistance. Unable to pay for a private procedure at a private clinic, she died from a botched illegal abortion.
* In 1988, Becky Bell was a young victim of an Indiana state law that required parental consent for a minor to obtain an abortion. Too afraid to tell her parents, she sought an illegal abortion. She died at the age of 17 from massive infections.
_______________________
These women were denied their human right to abortion. Their tragic lack of control over their lives fuels our demand for Reproductive Justice for all women. "Dr. King began the Human Rights Movement. We are the Women's Rights arm of that movement," states SisterSong's National Coordinator Loretta Ross. "As we celebrate Roe during MLK week we must always remember that women of color are the most vulnerable. Before Roe, 76% of all septic abortions resulting in death consisted of women of color, specifically Black and Latina." So in 2010, let us honor the legacy of this civil rights leader by securing Reproductive Justice for all.
I Trust Me, But Can I Trust You?
At the age of 15, I had my first lesson on the contradictions of the word “trust”, particularly the African American community. For most of my life, it seemed like the concept of trust was a friendly understanding - an unspoken child-parental agreement, if you will. Both of my parents provided for my sister and I, and while I didn’t have everything I wanted, all of my needs were met. My parents simply required that I go to church, be respectful of my elders, love my family, and make good grades. As a post-civil rights baby I had an obligation to excel, not just for my individual success but as the only African American often in privileged circles. No brainers, right? I excelled at those requests and I was trusted. Life seemed golden - for the moment.
But when I turned 16, the tide turned for s0me reason. Although I was trusted to make good grades, have perfect attendance at school, be a perfect daughter and grandchild, as I matured romantically and sexually that trust began to wane. For the slow reader: I met a hot guy at my 16th birthday party who was a senior in high school, and they weren’t having it. So began our journey down this path of “Conditional trust factors.”
“I trust you completely, I just don’t trust him/them/the world,” was the adage I heard for the next two years. And so began my true understanding of their meaning of trust. I was to be held responsible for what others MIGHT do – ill-intended or not. Translation: I trust you to do exactly what I want you to do.
So to say I was rebellious after my 16th birthday would be a gross understatement. But my mother endured, and I gave her hell the entire way. She wanted to teach me the value of trust by demanding that I trusted her to keep me safe - physically, sexually, psychologically, and spiritually. Her increased demands drove my further rebellion. And as my chest grew, my hips widened and the boys’ heads began to turn, she waged her own morality campaign. Her approach? Stricter rules, shorter curfews, and hard core church. The result? I equated the concept of trust with “control”. Someone else's control of my body, mind, and spirituality, despite the reality that I was still complying with the original requests to succeed in all the other areas she had asked me to - go to church, be respectful of my elders, love my family, and make good grades. It was clear to me then that being trusted to make good choices was not necessarily predicated on trustworthiness. There needed to be a spirit of submission – a willingness to allow, and in some instance enjoy the efforts, of the one attempting to do the controlling.
By the time I got to college, like everyone around me I tried to define my own reality, proving to myself (and possibly my parents) that my trustworthiness was bigger than the realm of academics, community service, and church. Life was finding and developing new relationships, having the experiences too taboo in a small southern town, but essential to urban living. Through a series of breakups, breakdowns, breakups, loving, hating, persevering - trust became the new “self forgiveness” that I needed to define myself. I had learned to trust myself not as an African American, but as a woman- my choices, my desires, my fears and metabolize how all those feelings intermingled with one another made for my fabulous, yet complicated life. With forgiveness came “compassion”, compassion for myself and compassion for others.
Now I am proudly in my 30’s harnessing the gifts of forgiveness and compassion, I have learned that to trust others is directly linked to the compassion I have for my own experiences – happiness, joy, love, acceptance, and commitment. I know that trusting others begins with me trusting the best in myself and ultimately humanity. Trusting others means allowing he/she to make the best choices for his/her life with the resources they have available, even if it is a bad decision. It’s how I learned to trust myself. Trusting other women means I trust me – trusting that I can make good decisions, powerful changes, and learn from my mistakes.
Can I trust you?
A Black Girl Named Heidi
In honor of the 37th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
But when I turned 16, the tide turned for s0me reason. Although I was trusted to make good grades, have perfect attendance at school, be a perfect daughter and grandchild, as I matured romantically and sexually that trust began to wane. For the slow reader: I met a hot guy at my 16th birthday party who was a senior in high school, and they weren’t having it. So began our journey down this path of “Conditional trust factors.”
“I trust you completely, I just don’t trust him/them/the world,” was the adage I heard for the next two years. And so began my true understanding of their meaning of trust. I was to be held responsible for what others MIGHT do – ill-intended or not. Translation: I trust you to do exactly what I want you to do.
So to say I was rebellious after my 16th birthday would be a gross understatement. But my mother endured, and I gave her hell the entire way. She wanted to teach me the value of trust by demanding that I trusted her to keep me safe - physically, sexually, psychologically, and spiritually. Her increased demands drove my further rebellion. And as my chest grew, my hips widened and the boys’ heads began to turn, she waged her own morality campaign. Her approach? Stricter rules, shorter curfews, and hard core church. The result? I equated the concept of trust with “control”. Someone else's control of my body, mind, and spirituality, despite the reality that I was still complying with the original requests to succeed in all the other areas she had asked me to - go to church, be respectful of my elders, love my family, and make good grades. It was clear to me then that being trusted to make good choices was not necessarily predicated on trustworthiness. There needed to be a spirit of submission – a willingness to allow, and in some instance enjoy the efforts, of the one attempting to do the controlling.
By the time I got to college, like everyone around me I tried to define my own reality, proving to myself (and possibly my parents) that my trustworthiness was bigger than the realm of academics, community service, and church. Life was finding and developing new relationships, having the experiences too taboo in a small southern town, but essential to urban living. Through a series of breakups, breakdowns, breakups, loving, hating, persevering - trust became the new “self forgiveness” that I needed to define myself. I had learned to trust myself not as an African American, but as a woman- my choices, my desires, my fears and metabolize how all those feelings intermingled with one another made for my fabulous, yet complicated life. With forgiveness came “compassion”, compassion for myself and compassion for others.
Now I am proudly in my 30’s harnessing the gifts of forgiveness and compassion, I have learned that to trust others is directly linked to the compassion I have for my own experiences – happiness, joy, love, acceptance, and commitment. I know that trusting others begins with me trusting the best in myself and ultimately humanity. Trusting others means allowing he/she to make the best choices for his/her life with the resources they have available, even if it is a bad decision. It’s how I learned to trust myself. Trusting other women means I trust me – trusting that I can make good decisions, powerful changes, and learn from my mistakes.
Can I trust you?
A Black Girl Named Heidi
In honor of the 37th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
A Moment of Truth
I am exhausted...When I woke up this morning at 6 am ready to take my delegation of southern women to Capitol Hill to lobby for health care reform, I thought my exhaustion was a matter of anxiety from having worked non-stop for the last 5 days to pull off this amazing day of advocacy. But as I stepped out of my hotel room to head downstairs to breakfast, two things hit me -- HARD!
First, Massachusetts elected Scott Brown to fill the
late Edward Kennedy's Senate seat. The second? It is exactly one year to the day that I was in Washington DC watching the inauguration of President Barack Obama. And unfortunately, both weighed on me heavily.I will deal with the 'worst first', as my Jewish PE Teacher used to say. Scott Brown's election compounded the enormous loss I already felt from the death of Senator Kennedy. My feelings did not ebb as reports blared all day about how 'healthcare is dead'. Depending on who you talk to that is not necessarily a bad thing. Don't get me wrong, I want comprehensive health care but the thought of passing a bill that excludes critical components necessary for women and communities to realize their human right to comprehensive healthcare is troubling, to say the least. But back to Scott Brown. His win in my opinion is a part of the local push back of election Barack Obama to office. And it is a feeling unfortunately that I believe we will have to get used to, at least for the mid-term elections. I know, I know, those of you who know me are saying, "As a Southerner you should be used to it." Well, I am not.
That being said, I have been trying to put my finger on the other emotions driving me toward exhaustion today. Enter President Obama. While qualifying my emotions today is a challenge, I think back on the one clear moment where my emotions were real, clear, and unspeakably authentic - Jan. 20, 2009, Inauguration Day. And what I felt in that moment is not what I feel at this moment.
I dare not follow the lead of the national news anchors and grade President Obama. Its ridulous given there is truly no objective standard to formally grade a president. And polls are pointless. What I can say is this - the hope, elation, and adulation I felt in 2008 has waned a bit. I was so excited, I couldn't sleep on Election Night. I was so overwhelmed, I hosted dinner parties to have "Best Election Year Moments" recap. I was so inspired, I completed my first novel. So what is the problem now you ask? Is it his incessant need to pass "bi-partisan" legislation? Or his desire to make so many people(Constituencies) happy in such a short amount of time? Not at all. You have to live with a Leo to love them and truly understand them.:) He'll come down from that high.
My trepidation harkens back to something I heard at the King Day Celebration in Atlanta on Monday. Dr. Cornel West said, "Dr. King didn't sacrifice so that we could have black faces in high places. He sacrificed so that black faces in high places to hold the unjust to account and give voice to the least of these." While I don't think Barack is obligated to save the race, perhaps I unknowingly though that 365 days later African Americans would move closer to saving themselves. Nothing dramatic mind you, but small distinctive steps towards "greatness rather than success". (Another C. West-ism). And it's possible. I never thought I would be lobbying on the Hill a year later for a bill that no other president has come this close to passing. But where is everyone else? Where are the thousands of people last year who were so happy to see the first black man get elected to the highest office in the land shutting down Washington DC or their own districts for that matter to push HIS agenda? I am baffled.
So as I sit here in DC writing my first blog piece EVER, I am thinking about "moments of truth" and how we all must have one. As a country we must have one regarding health care reform and our moral obligation to provide for "the least of these". As a gender, women must have one regarding the distinctions that divide us in assumption, policy, and matters of conscience. As a race, African Americans must have a moment of truth regarding collective self love and our individual greatness, rather than success.
This is my moment of truth...I definitively believe that I am a divine change agent in this world. I have the ability to inspire others and the talents to encourage all those I engage. And I will. As my generation struggles to understand the great fallacy of success, I must continue to remind him/her/them along my journey that each of us has a divine purpose and the ability to realize our greatness. What will you do to change the world? A Black Girl Named Heidi
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