Marcela Howell – Page 3 – In Our Own Voice

When You Live a Reproductive Justice Life

“In Our Own Voice is the safest place for a Black leader of a Reproductive Justice organization to be.” Dazon Dixon Diallo, founder and president of SisterLove, Inc.

I was thrilled to be among Black women leaders who shared their collective vision for the future during four inspirational days in September. We began with a leadership retreat, followed by a public conference themed “Living a Reproductive Justice Life: The Health and Well-Being of Black Women” attended by more than 125 people, and two days of sharing and strategizing in our annual Summit for Policy Change.

It’s High Time We End Hyde If We Are Serious About Racial Justice

By Jessica González-Rojas, Marcela Howell, Sung Yeon Choimorrow
The Hyde Amendment blocks women from using federal funds such as Medicaid to end unwanted pregnancies. On this 43rd anniversary of a rule that places undue burden on women of color, we say enough is enough.

Living a Reproductive Justice Life

SEPTEMBER 19, 2019
Marcela Howell, Founder and President/CEO In Our Own Voice

For the past five years I have been convening eight Black women’s Reproductive Justice (RJ) organizations and activists to develop strategize focus on policy shift, leadership development, and movement building. Our overall goal in this work is to lift up the voices of Black women leaders to address policies that impact our lives.

2018 Earth Day — black women are leading the fight against environmental racism

BY MARCELA HOWELL AND JANETTE ROBINSON-FLINT, OPINION CONTRIBUTORS — 04/22/18 10:30 AM EDT

Environmental policy in the age of the Trump administration and Scott Pruitt’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proved to be devastating, with a long list of first year actions designed at dismantling basic protections. These actions range from rolling back Obama-era regulations that tackled climate change to limiting funding to our communities attempting to address environmental risks.

Historically, low-income communities, predominately communities of color, have faced the most severe burdens of environmental hazards that are made worse as the government takes huge steps backwards in regulations.

As the nation watches the EPA’s actions, Earth Day should not only be a day to celebrate our planet and protect our natural environment, but should also serve as a harsh reminder of how environmental racism continues to burden black communities, specifically black women.

January Is a Month to Recommit to the Struggle for Reproductive Justice

Opinion:”We have come a long way. We’ve made gains against impossible odds. We have much to celebrate and much more to do.”
by Marcela Howell, January 16, 2018

With the 45th anniversary of Roe v. Wade—the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion—and the one-year anniversary of the Women’s March quickly approaching, this is a good time to reflect on the state of women’s rights and the lessons we’ve learned over the last year.

Black women applaud TIME’s Person of the Year 2017

January 26, 2018
Marcela Howell
Human Rights

Statement of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda Founder and Executive Director Marcela Howell

WASHINGTON, D.C. – TIME Magazine has named “the silence breakers’ as its 2017 Person of the Year, celebrating those who championed the #MeToo movement and came forward publicly to name and condemn sexual assaulters.

Marcela Howell, founder and executive director of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, issued the following statement:

“What a difference a year makes! Last year TIME’s Person of the Year was a sexual predator. This year, the movement of women to stop sexual assault and harassment have earned the title. These brave silence breakers have shattered the system that allows abusers to prosper. The power of our collective voice is proving its strength as we witness the ostracization of powerful men.

National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda Condemns Racist Violence

August 15, 2017
Marcela Howell
Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 12, 2017 Contact: Loretta Kane (917-410-7242 or loretta@caminopr.com) In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda Condemns Racist Violence, Calls on Trump administration to take action Statement of Founder and Executive Director Marcela Howell WASHINGTON — In response…

Black Women Are Still Fighting for Our Lives Even if GOP Health Care Bill Fails

July 25, 2017
Marcela Howell
Affordable Health Care, Reproductive Justice

Republicans have now tried and failed three times to pass health care bills that would dismantle the Affordable Care Act — and potentially cut access to health care for millions. We’ve seen the introduction of hundreds of new reproductive health restrictions and insistent efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. In the midst of the GOP’s attack on women’s health, Charleena Lyles was killed by police. She was a pregnant Black woman who called the cops to her home for protection only to fall victim to their bullets. This is the unique kind of challenge black women face where health and state-sanctioned violence intersect.

GOP healthcare attack is a vendetta against President Obama

After the final nail was hammered in the coffin of the zombie-like Republican healthcare bill in the Senate, President Trump suggested that his party wait out the collapse of the federal insurance market, repeal the Affordable Care Act in the meantime, and eventually introduce a new plan “that will start from a clean slate.”

New report outlines action agenda for interlocking issues of reproductive, racial, criminal justice

For Immediate Release:
June 27, 2017
Contact: Amy Lebowitz, Camino PR
amy@caminopr.com / 212-255-2575

Report briefing puts human face to Black women’s reproductive justice challenges

WASHINGTON — Today, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda launched its groundbreaking new report on the state of Black women and reproductive justice. The report offers firsthand accounts of the lived experiences of Black women, giving voice to issues including abortion access, the Affordable Care Act, maternal health and equal access to contraception.

“We held listening sessions with Black women across the country,” said Marcela Howell, founder and executive director of In Our Own Voice. “This report documents the real-life barriers to reproductive health that Black women face and examines the impact of these barriers on our lives.”

The report, “Our Bodies, Our Lives, Our Voices: The State of Black Women and Reproductive Justice,” exposes how both political parties give short shrift to the needs of Black women. One party consistently fails to address police violence against Black people even as we witness yet another Black woman — Charleena Lyles — being murdered in front of her own children.