![Today, for the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the interns and I finally set our commemorative “graveyard” in front of the Student Union dedicated to women lost to illegal abortions (as well as Dr. Tiller and other abortion providers who have been attacked for providing the controversial medical procedure). It is important to reflect on and remember why safe and legal access to abortion services is so important: making abortion illegal does not stop abortion, but it does end women’s lives. I encourage everyone to take a look at it if they have the chance! I also pray from the bottom of my heart that the graves will be able to withstand the tumultuous wind and weather of Storrs, CT. The last thing I need is the pro-life population saying that my project was ‘naturally’ defaced because God is punishing me or something. I do like when they say they’ll pray for me, though. Lord knows I need it. Today, I also tabled at the Involvement Fair for one of my extracurricular student groups, Students United for Reproductive Justice (SURJ), and was actually able to [unintentionally] network for my internship. Two sorority sisters from Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. came to me asking if SURJ was willing to speak to their sorority. Unfortunately, I told them that our group was not trained for that, but that we had the resources to find speakers for them if needed (ie. through Planned Parenthood Intern resources). Although the two women clearly wanted speakers centering on some aspect of reproductive justice, they were uncertain of specifics. So, I engaged in a “thought shower” and presented themes such as a basic sexual education workshop, a Black women empowerment presentation, and an HIV/AIDS initiative with a keynote speaker to name a few. Luckily, as I had hoped for, the two were thrilled about a “Black women empowering campaign” with an HIV/AIDS initiative. We exchanged contact information and I certainly hope that they get back to me soon! Collaborating with an entire sorority, especially one geared toward women of color, would not only be a personal success for me because it is one of my semester goals to collaborate with a group that we, as interns, have not collaborated with before, but a breakthrough for the internship, itself, because of the larger venue of people; successful outreach is typically one of our largest obstacles. I am very hopeful that everything works out because I actually already have a few speakers/presenters in mind for them! I am also particularly excited about this opportunity because I know that there will be an Occupy-econo-esque theme within the seminar that I need to relate back to my internship, and although I know that reproductive justice is one of the major contenders of the social justice movement, and that Planned Parenthood works directly with vulnerable populations, I also know that Planned Parenthood is a corporation and I am extremely curious and interested in seeing how my views will change (if they change) when viewing an institution that I personally love and support in a different light.
On the back of my ‘grave’, I wrote, “This is NOT a surgical instrument.” I wish I had written it on the front, instead. But either way, the message is there. I just hope it sticks this time.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lydxng03eL1ro3gt1o1_500.jpg)
Today, for the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the interns and I finally set our commemorative “graveyard” in front of the Student Union dedicated to women lost to illegal abortions (as well as Dr. Tiller and other abortion providers who have been attacked for providing the controversial medical procedure). It is important to reflect on and remember why safe and legal access to abortion services is so important: making abortion illegal does not stop abortion, but it does end women’s lives. I encourage everyone to take a look at it if they have the chance! I also pray from the bottom of my heart that the graves will be able to withstand the tumultuous wind and weather of Storrs, CT. The last thing I need is the pro-life population saying that my project was ‘naturally’ defaced because God is punishing me or something. I do like when they say they’ll pray for me, though. Lord knows I need it.
Today, I also tabled at the Involvement Fair for one of my extracurricular student groups, Students United for Reproductive Justice (SURJ), and was actually able to [unintentionally] network for my internship. Two sorority sisters from Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. came to me asking if SURJ was willing to speak to their sorority. Unfortunately, I told them that our group was not trained for that, but that we had the resources to find speakers for them if needed (ie. through Planned Parenthood Intern resources). Although the two women clearly wanted speakers centering on some aspect of reproductive justice, they were uncertain of specifics. So, I engaged in a “thought shower” and presented themes such as a basic sexual education workshop, a Black women empowerment presentation, and an HIV/AIDS initiative with a keynote speaker to name a few. Luckily, as I had hoped for, the two were thrilled about a “Black women empowering campaign” with an HIV/AIDS initiative. We exchanged contact information and I certainly hope that they get back to me soon!
Collaborating with an entire sorority, especially one geared toward women of color, would not only be a personal success for me because it is one of my semester goals to collaborate with a group that we, as interns, have not collaborated with before, but a breakthrough for the internship, itself, because of the larger venue of people; successful outreach is typically one of our largest obstacles. I am very hopeful that everything works out because I actually already have a few speakers/presenters in mind for them!
I am also particularly excited about this opportunity because I know that there will be an Occupy-econo-esque theme within the seminar that I need to relate back to my internship, and although I know that reproductive justice is one of the major contenders of the social justice movement, and that Planned Parenthood works directly with vulnerable populations, I also know that Planned Parenthood is a corporation and I am extremely curious and interested in seeing how my views will change (if they change) when viewing an institution that I personally love and support in a different light.
On the back of my ‘grave’, I wrote, “This is NOT a surgical instrument.” I wish I had written it on the front, instead. But either way, the message is there. I just hope it sticks this time.
