Black women to Democrats: Defend our rights or don’t count on our votes

WASHINGTON — Once again, House Democrats will attach the Hyde Amendment to ban abortion coverage for poor women in the appropriations bill. In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda President and CEO Marcela Howell issued the follow statement in response:

“In an act of fundamental betrayal, Democrats have put Black women’s reproductive rights on the auction block, selling them off for convenience and expediency.

“In 2018, Black women overwhelmingly voted to give Democrats control of the House of Representatives because they vowed to fight for our rights. Instead, Speaker Pelosi and her caucus turned their backs on us as they have for the past forty-four years of Hyde restrictions.

“Enough is enough!

“Black women are the largest voting block in the American electorate. Every year, we register voters, organize our communities and deliver the votes that give so many Democratic members of Congress their jobs. In exchange, Black women expect — DEMAND — that the politicians we voted for represent our interests and our basic human rights.

“The global coronavirus pandemic and the horrid incidents of police brutality have surfaced the racial inequalities of the lived experiences of Black families. We can no longer wait for change but must hold those we vote for accountable. We must demand that our rights are respected, our issues prioritized and our lives no longer pushed to the margins. We will redouble our efforts to engage voters, especially Black women and other women of color — not just on Election Day but every single day. Finally, we will use the power of the ballot to elect those who understand our lived experiences and will use that experience to fashion a new future for us all.”

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In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national Reproductive Justice organization focused on lifting up the voices of Black women leaders at the national, regional and state levels in our ongoing fight to secure Reproductive Justice for Black women, femmes, queer, trans and gender n