February 2020
Marcela's Voice
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Greetings!

In 2020, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is making sure that you are an informed voter before you head to the polls. We have been speaking with Black women of all ages around the country about the issues that are most important to them and will motivate them to vote.
 
In the 2018 midterm more than 90 percent of the Black women who voted stated that they did so because “the stakes were too high not to.” They were concerned about ending racial discrimination, ensuring that people with pre-existing conditions received health care, and that their kids had clean water to drink. The stakes were high and more than 6.2 million Black women voted in 2018, up from the last midterm election by almost 2 million. 
 
Not surprising, we are seeing some of the same themes emerge as they share what it means to be a Black woman voter in 2020 - the importance of family, education, health care, and taxes. They are concerned about their kids having a better life than they have, about their parents getting older and not being able to retire, and concerned about how racism has affected their lives over the last three years under an Administration that seems to hate them. 

As a voter, we have an obligation to vote in every election. As a voter, we have a responsibility to hold those we elect accountable to our communities. Voting is just the first step in participating in our democracy. When we go to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3, we need to make sure that we cast ballots for candidates who understand the issues that matter to us – afterall, by voting for them, we are hiring them to do a job that will help make our communities better.

Listen to what candidates are saying about the issues – from education to taxes, health care to gun safety, abortion rights to clean water, a living wage to public transportation – that impact your life. We need clean water in our pipes and safe neighborhoods to live in. We need better health care and safer air to breathe. We need economic power, social power, and political power, and the resources to make healthy decisions about our bodies, our families, and our communities in ALL aspects of our lives.

And your vote is your voice and OUR POWER!

Respectfully,

Marcela Howell
Founder & President
In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda
See What We've Been Up To
Preparing Congress for SCOTUS Abortion Case
With just under two weeks until oral arguments begin in the U.S. Supreme Court case,  June Medical Services LLC v. Russco  which challenges Louisiana’s admitting privileges law. In Our Own Voice's Vice President of Government Affairs Jessica Pinckney, participated in House and Senate briefings this week with Congressional staff. She discussed the case and the impact on people in Louisiana, the South, and across the country.

Jessica discussed restrictions that already exist for people living in Louisiana and how abortion access and achieving Reproductive Justice would be further impacted based on the outcome of the case.
Following Our Fellows
2020-2022 Fellowship Application Now Open!

Do you know a promising college student who is ready to train to become a Reproductive Justice Leader? If so, send them our way.

We are recruiting stellar students for the next cohort of In Our Own Voice's Next Generation Leadership Institute. The 2020-2022 application is now open . This paid, two-year fellowship is open to students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Ideal candidates are students who are interested in maximizing their leadership potential while developing knowledge and skills in advocacy, strategic communications, and movement building. if you know a qualified student at any of the following HBCUs please encourage them to apply:
  • Bowie State University
  • Dillard University
  • Hampton University
  • Howard University
  • LeMoyne Owen College
  • Lincoln University (PA)
  • Morgan State University
  • University of the District of Columbia
The Next Generation Leadership Institute is designed to provide a leadership pipeline specifically for the Black women’s Reproductive Justice movement. The Institute is a two-year paid fellowship program that serves as a formal pipeline for training activists on Reproductive Justice and the intersectional issues that impact the lives of Black women, femmes, and girls. Fellows are selected from HBCUs and are trained in advocacy, community organizing, and strategic communications to become young leaders in the Reproductive Justice movement.
Our Partners In Action
Celebrate Women of Color HERstory Month with New Voices for Reproductive Justice by lifting up the power, legacy, and achievements of women of color.

SisterReach is seeking proposals from clergy, educators, organizations, and religious scholars that will educate, inform, and mobilize their audience for the Reproductive Justice, Faith, and Religion Conference 2020. 

The Afiya Center Presents: Texas Black Women Rise Up 2020
The Afiya Center hosts this summit every other year in Dallas, TX to inform, educate, and empower those interested in learning more about Reproductive Justice and how it influences and impacts every facet of our lives. This year's theme is Exploring the Future of Reproductive Justice.