Roe’s “Un”niversary

We should be recognizing a milestone this week. But instead of celebrating 50 years of reproductive freedom, we’re gathering as allies and once again working toward what should be ours simply because we’re human. This January 22nd is even more poignant when we imagine the joy those in the movement must have felt 50 years ago, and consider what they must be feeling now.

This week is a remembrance of Roe. We recognize with gratitude the ferocity of those whose shoulders we stand upon. We willingly take up the mantle for those who need to rest. And we joyously create space for and support those whose journeys as activists are just beginning.

In Rhode Island, our right to abortion is protected. But our access is not. We learned last week that Governor McKee made the EACA part of his budget – a milestone worth celebrating, but just the first step in this bill’s journey to become law.

Watch founding member of The Womxn Project Education Fund, Daria-Lyric Montaquila offer two poems to guide us in commemorating January 22nd: “won’t you celebrate with me” by Lucille Clifton and “A Litany for Survival” by Audre Lorde.

We hope you’ll join us:

• Today at the State House to deliver thank you notes to legislators who support the EACA and supported the RPA in 2019.
• Every Tuesday and Thursday after that so that our presence proves our dedication to the bill.
• This Wednesday, we’ll hold our monthly volunteer meetup, lead by Kait Castillo, where you can meet board members Daria Lyric Montaquila and Emma Gauthier, receive updates on the first few weeks of session, as well as learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities through creative and traditional methods.

We hope you’ll join us in keeping the fight for access moving forward, making art that excites and inspires, and carrying on the legacy of those who came before us. 

This “un”niversary is a reminder of what we’ve lost. But it’s also a powerful reminder that we have the opportunity to reimagine what reproductive freedom can be.