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Empowered, Invested & Committed to Reproductive Justice
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SisterReach Faith Presents:
The Widow's Mites
Black Women, Faith, Poverty and Policy
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During the week of September 25-October 1, 2016, reproductive health, rights and justice leaders across the country will focus on raising awareness about the
Hyde Amendment
, a harmful piece of legislation that prohibits any public funding to be applied toward abortion procedures. Though 17 states currently allow Medicaid to cover what they deem as medically necessary procedures (i.e. cases of fetal abnormalities, harm to the mother, rape or incest) people living in poverty - dependent upon public funding - are excluded from full spectrum reproductive healthcare. This deplorable piece of legislation disproportionately impacts women of color, young people and LGBTQIA+ communities has now been on the books for 40 years - particularly those in the South.
Because our lives depend on our having full access to healthcare and because Black women are most often to be accused simultaneously of having too many children AND having too many abortions, when
All* Above All
sent out the call for advocates to join in a Week of Action to raise awareness about this intentional exclusion of poor women, the majority of whom are women of color, SisterReach answered--and has decided to consider the implications of this law from our perspective as Christian faith leaders.
Join us for a virtual round table discussion among Black women faith leaders about the gifts and challenges involved in remaining faithful to the churches that have nurtured us along our faith journeys, but are sometimes blind to our needs despite our consistent sacrificial support.
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A Broader Understanding of a Woman's "Right to Choose"
A Brief Reflection by Rev. Faye
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This week, in
The Feminist Wire,
there was an opinion piece entitled,
"A Woman's Right to Choose: It's Not Just about Abortion"
by guest contributor Asha Goldweber. In the piece, Ms. Goldweber tells the story of her encounters with doctors who insisted on repeatedly performing the same painful tests even though they never found any evidence of serious illness. Those of us who have had problematic experiences in medical contexts--experiences that discounted our own expertise about our own bodies while ignoring our suffering in favor of a textbook diagnosis unattached to our individuality or cultural contexts--feel her pain as she describes crying with her legs in stirrups.
And while I affirm her broadening the conversation beyond abortion and agree with her explicit argument--that women's health encounters are often plagued by a lack of cultural competence and compassion--I contend that, though framed in "choice" language her argument is more one for support of the reproductive justice framework than it is an illumination of more need for "choice." Yes, the author is arguing for her right to choose not to endure a procedure that experience has taught her will be very painful and will likely yield no results, but the work that needs to be done to achieve her right to "choose" is the work of culture shift around doctor/patient relations particularly regarding women. When only described through choice language, there is a danger of reducing her situation to a matter of an individual doctor's arrogance. But in order to see Ms. Goldweber's situation clearly, one should use a more comprehensive lens--one that asks questions about other issues that may be impacting the doctor's decisions both about how to treat her as a patient and about why they may or may not respect her own wishes.
While choice language affirms her right to make decisions about her treatment, an RJ lens would help us analyze the conditions that are or create barriers to her ability to choose. Gender, income/employment status, race, ability, locality, insurance status and yes, even a doctor's faith tradition could lead to dangerous assumptions about a woman's body and humanity or color the doctor/patient encounter in ways that encourage doctors to assume that it is acceptable or even necessary to exclude a woman's own wishes from considerations of treatment.
SisterReach and other RJ organizations prioritize a woman's lived experience and expertise and seek to remove all all barriers to her right to be self-determining and her ability to achieve optimal health for herself and for her family. This approach reminds us of the importance not just of choice in a medical encounter, but also to attend to all of the intersections that might muddy the water and lead to the mishandling of patients.
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SisterReach Partners with JobCorps for Regular VBS Sessions
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Throughout the month of September, SisterReach will partner to provide Comprehensive Reproductive and Sexual Health Education to students at the
Benjamin L. Hooks Job Corps Center
in Memphis, TN.
Job Corps is a tuition-free training and education program that connects students ages 16-24 with the skills and educational opportunities they need to establish a career.
Job Core also seeks to enhance other life skill as needed, guiding students toward decisions that will positively impact their lives for the future.
As part of this goal and after seeing the success of Vacation Body School, staff at the Memphis center reached out to SisterReach for Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Heath classes with a moral (not specifically religious) approach to self-esteem and healthy relationships.
Wednesdays in September, SisterReach will offer these classes to Job Corp students free of charge. Though these sessions are open only to current, active Job Corps students, SisterReach Interfaith Outreach coordinator Rev. A. Faye London would be happy to discuss scheduling workshops with your church or community group.
Email her today at afaye@sisterreach.org or use the button below to sign up to be the next group to host a VBS or other Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health workshop.
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Vacation Body School (VBS) Is designed for faith communities and faith-based organizations that recognize the need for young people to have the most accurate and complete information about their bodies possible in order to make the best decisions for themselves.
VBS is a two to three day (evenings or weekends) Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health, Healthy Relationships and Self-Management learning community for 6th-12th graders. Designed to fulfill the need that is lacking in our schools' sex education programs for age-appropriate, scientifically accurate and comprehensive information about:
- Reproductive Anatomy
- General health and hygiene
- Healthy relationships
- Reproductive and sexual health (Including abstinence education)
VBS is offered as a community-wide education and enrichment event on a monthly basis.
SIGN UP TO HOST TODAY or contact our Interfaith & Outreach Coordinator, Rev. A. Faye London at afaye@sisterreach.org for more details.
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Want to be a part of VBS? Become a SisterReach volunteer for the event! To find out more about VBS volunteer opportunities and register as a volunteer, click the button below!
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SisterReach Stood with Rev. William Barber and States Across the Nation for September 12 Action
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This summer, Rev William Barber, II of the Moral Monday/Forward Together movement in NC put out a call for state-capitol actions to address attacks against everyday people from state legislators. On Monday September 12, twenty-five states across the U.S.--Including TN--joined him to rally for a better future for our communities!
Women, underpaid workers and other marginalized groups in Tennessee are no strangers to state-level attacks. In 2009, Tennessee legislators passed laws preempting local municipalities from raising the minimum wage. In 2012 the state passed what came to be known nationwide as the "No Hand Holding Law," which effectively leaves young people woefully without access to scientifically accurate and complete information about their bodies and reproduction. In 2014, Legislators passed Amendment 1 to the state constitution, opening the door to other laws intended to limit women's access to abortion and other healthcare options. And this year alone, the LGBTQ community, citizens with felonies, and TN state employees found themselves facing legislation intended to deny their basic human and civil rights or putting their livelihoods in jeopardy.
On September 12, women, underpaid workers, people of faith, students, union members, clergy and other community members gathered at our state-capitol. They made make a moral declaration and pledged to unify political efforts to create a better Tennessee. We need elected officials who will take the moral higher ground and champion democracy, education equity, economic and racial justice, voting rights, and access to comprehensive healthcare for all--including the full spectrum of women's healthcare. Let's continue to make our voices heard as we approach this decisive electoral season and the next legislative session.
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In Other Faith & Justice News
by Stephanie Nebehay
by Jamila Taylor
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SisterReach | 901.222.4425 | 901.222.4441| www.sisterreach.org
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