The reversal of Roe v. Wade has been a detrimental decision that impacts people of all races, ages, and spaces throughout the country. Companies like Apple, Disney, and Amazon have shown their support for the right to choose by offering to cover travel expenses for employees seeking access to abortion. And music artists like Latto have released songs clapping back at the Supreme Court’s decision, and even pledged their support for organizations like Planned Parenthood, alongside actress Taraji P. Henson.
But with any outcry of public protest, the fact remains that we are stronger in numbers. That’s why Divine 9, nine international Black Greek organizations, is “mobilizing Americans to call on their senators to reinstate Roe V. Wade with the Tell Somebody Campaign.
“Overturning Roe v. Wade will not end abortion, it will only end safe abortions and access to healthcare for millions of women — particularly poor women of color — and fuel a full-fledged public health crisis in this country,” said Chris V. Rey, J.D., President of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. “We’re calling on the 2.5 million members of the Divine 9 to contact lawmakers to mitigate the impact of this egregious blow to the well-being of 10 million Black women of childbearing age.”
The campaign video “starkly illustrates the circumstances that drive nearly four times more Black women to seek abortions versus their white peers, particularly sexual violence.”
According to an exclusive press release, 35% of Black women will “experience some form of sexual violence within their lifetime.”
“Black women are also three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than their white peers,” it continues. “This mortality rate among Black mothers is expected to increase by 33% in the wake of the repeal.”
The campaign video is narrated by the iconic actress Jenifer Lewis, also known as the “Mother of Hollywood,” who urges viewers to reach out to their respective lawmakers asking them to “relax filibuster rules so Congress can protect women’s healthcare rights.”
“Lives are on the line,” Lewis shared exclusively with 21Ninety. “The Supreme Court will not have the last word. We are asking America to stand up for women’s rights. We’re asking Americans to #TellSomebodyNow, to call on their Senators to reinstate Roe v. Wade.”
“I was molested as a child,” said the Black-ish actor. “Forty to sixty percent of Black women report being subjected to coercive sexual contact by age 18, and one in four Black girls will be sexually abused before the age of 18. We don’t need any more back-alley abortions. We don’t need more Black women to die. We need to stand up together to fight for what our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and friends have fought for… the right to govern their own bodies, to rule their own lives.”
Veteran broadcaster, also known as “The Voice of Reason” on the “Tom Joyner Morning Show,” and executive producer of the campaign Sybil Wilkes also expressed an exclusive quote to 21Ninety.
“It’s time to fight,” she said. “It’s time for Black women, millennials, and all Americans to be brave and stand up for women’s rights. In 2022, we cannot afford to go backward, back to the days before Roe v. Wade. We need to move forward. Women must be free to govern their own bodies and exercise their reproductive rights. I’m proud to be the producer of the Divine 9’s #TellSomebodyNow campaign and urge all Americans to call on their Senators to reinstate Roe v. Wade.”
Contact information for members of the U.S. Senate can be found here.
For more information about the Tell Somebody campaign visit www.TellSomebodyNow.org.