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.
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* 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.
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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.