Fathers: it's not a day, it's a lifetime

Bill Sorro (left) and Al Robles.

By Jack DeJesus

Father's Day. My least favorite time of the year. It is during these times when I'm reminded about cards I can't send, phone calls I can't make, hugs that I will miss out on.
I never knew my father. He left my mom and I when I was just a few months old. My only memories of him are photos from dusty photo albums, sightings at a couple family gatherings, and a few insignificant child support checks. He and I bear a striking resemblance, my signature bears his name. From what people have told me, he was charming, handsome, and smoked like a chimney. He was also a "ladies man" who manipulated his way in and out of women's lives as long as he lived.

Want to help get the racist billboards out of Oakland?

CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION NOW!!

Approximately 10 days ago, offensive billboards began cropping up in East and West Oakland. Co-opting a message that has been used to uplift and empower the Black community for decades, the billboards are part of a national right wing effort to eliminate women's reproductive rights, beginning (as always) with women of color. A well-funded right wing organization has perpetrated ads meant to divide the Black community, shame Black women, and scapegoat health clinics that provide preventative care in our community.
Using the phrase, "Black and Beautiful; too many aborted" the billboards aim to shame and divide our community and we won't stand for it.

Links for Media on Oakland BIllboards

Media coverage of the Oakland Campaign to Remove Racist Billboards

July 14, 2011
RH RealityCheck

July 13, 2011
Florida Independent
San Jose Mercury News

July 12, 2011:
Hard Knock Radio

July 5th, 2011
Jack and Jill Politics

June 30, 2011
BET

June 29, 2011
Hard Knock Radio

June 27, 2011
OpEd by Belle Taylor-McGhee in SF Chron
East Bay Express


June 22, 2011
CBS news (THIS IS OUR FAVE)
Florida independent
Oakland Tribune

June 20th, 2011
Feminsting

June 18th, 2011
ABC Local



Reproductive Justice blog:
Dana on the first sighting of the billboards
Tavae on going to the opposition's press conf



Opposition pieces on Oakland story:
Lifenews
California Catholic Daily
Radiance foundation youtube video

BACKGROUND:
Miriam Perez's excellent piece in ColorLines: a must read

piece on Fox about the billboards coming down in LA
piece from a year ago about CBS's involvement
Series on RH Reality Check provides national context

Behind "Enemy" Lines: Attending the Issues4Life Press Conference

By Tavae Samuelu

I’m new to ACRJ, and even newer to the reproductive justice movement. The little knowledge I do have about reproductive justice was garnered from books and lectures in Gender and Women’s Studies classes. However, prior to any entry into discussions on feminist politics and reproductive matters, I had decided that I was pro-choice.

Last weekend, I attended a press conference for Issues4Life and the Radiance Foundation. For those who don’t already know, these are some of the organizations that are responsible for the anti-abortion billboards that have been popping up all over Oakland. Before attending the press conference I debated about outfits asking my roommate, “What do anti-choice people look like?” I was going incognito. I entered the press conference with some apprehension. Could they tell? Did I look like the enemy? Did they know I was morally opposed to everything they were promoting?

My bout with paranoia was interrupted by the beginning of the press conference which was opened with a prayer. I was reminded of my pastor father who spends every night with his hands clasped talking to God. The anti-choice people look like my dad.

Love makes a family

[Young Women United and Media Literacy Project have been collecting stories from across New Mexico about what makes New Mexican families strong. Their efforts are a part of the Strong Families initiative Strong Families is a 10-year national initiative to change the way people think, feel and act in support of families. David Martinez, a native of Espanola, New Mexico, shared his story.]

By David Martinez

For generations, New Mexico has been the home of many strong and flourishing queer families . Unfortunately, national and state media coverage of these families are few and far between. Instead, were inundated with stories of discrimination and narrow-mindedness that portrays our state as one that is hostile towards queer families and individuals.

But amongst these stories, are those of love and acceptance, not only from family members, but also of the communities at large. My family and the community of Espanola, New Mexico is the beginning of such a story, my story.

My earliest memories revolve around playing “housie” with my sister, and dressing up in my moms’ baby blue chiffon dress as Cinderella when we would travel up north to visit my Grandfather in El Rito.

Organizing works! A school is SAVED!

The Catherine Ferguson Academy in Detroit will remain open as a charter school. The announcement came as students, teachers and community members got ready for a noon rally at the school today, which was scheduled to be the school's last day.

The Catherine Ferguson Academy is a much-loved high school for pregnant and parenting teens.  

Rachel Maddow has done some excellent coverage of the issue, and her show sent handy-cams to the students.  Watch this clip, and check out some of what they shot.  Much appreciation to the hard working folks in Detroit and around the country who moved on this.  We look forward to CFA continuing to serve these young women and their children.

Memo to the Administration: You can’t be pro-choice unless you support equal access

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.

Our ally Stephanie Poggi of National Network of Abortion Funds posted this powerful piece on RH Reality Check.

If recent statements are any indication, the Obama Administration would very much like to rewrite what it means to be “pro-choice.” The Administration continues to claim that it supports the right of a woman to make her own decision about whether and when to have a child. But it turns out that the Administration only stands firm when that woman has economic resources.

It’s more than a contradiction in terms and much more than a “compromise” to deny access to abortion care to a low-income woman. The 120,000 women who called our abortion funding hotline for help last year can tell you what it really means. Not having enough food for the children you already have. Having the electricity shut off because you need that money to pay for an abortion. Selling your car, even though you need it to get to work. Not being able to return to college next semester.

Yes, we understand that many in Congress would like to end the legal status of abortion altogether. Because funding restrictions are a step toward that goal, capitulation will only embolden our opponents and get us even more onerous obstacles blocking a low-income woman’s path to an abortion.

The reproductive rights, health, and justice communities will fight – until we win – for the ability of every single woman to make the decision she feels is best for herself and her family. We will keep working until we have restored federal Medicaid coverage of abortion – and ensured it is once again available on the same terms as coverage for women continuing a pregnancy. Because nothing less will guarantee that a woman can make this fundamental decision for herself. Our commitment to the lives and futures of women and families prompted us to express our concern and disappointment when Secretary Sebelius recently went out of her way to disavow public funding. Joined by over 50 organizations in the reproductive rights and justice communities, the National Network of Abortion Funds and Catholics for Choice wrote to the Secretary after she was quoted in the press as saying that, “Federal funds have never supported abortion, do not support abortion, will not support abortion.”

For the complete article, see RH Reality Check.

Racist billboards come to Oakland. WTF.

By Dana Ginn Paredes

I live in the Fruitvale, a mostly Latin@ neighborhood in Oakland. I love this city and fall in love with it every morning as I ride my bike down Foothill Boulevard toward downtown. I ride through mothers walking their children to school, day laborers waiting for gigs, the smell of tamales and carne asada, neighbors waiting for "the 40" (the bus) and commuters fighting each other to move their cars ahead in traffic. This morning as I was pedaling fast to make the light at the intersection of Fruitvale and Foothill, I nearly lost my grip of my handlebars as I noticed a billboard at this busy intersection. It said "Black and beautiful" in big white letters with an image of a darling newborn child. Underneath it read "toomanyaborted.com." I had to slow down and crank my neck to really see if it was true.

It was true. The anti-abortion billboards had come to Oakland.

Report from Geneva--Domestic workers take center stage

By Ai-Jen Poo, Domestic Workers United

I’m on my way home from a week of discussion and debate about the proposed Convention concerning “Decent Work for Domestic Workers” at the International Labor Conference in Geneva. This is the first international convention on domestic work. Getting here has been a long road, more than ten years in the making. But we are now in the final hours of the journey to gain recognition in the international arena for domestic workers. The draft of the Convention and Recommendation (which provides guidance to governments on how to concretely address the issues outlined in the Convention) was completed on Friday. The final vote on the convention will take place on June 16.

A part of the vision for reproductive justice

By Patricia Barahona, Spring 2011 SAFIRE Youth Organizer

I learned about ACRJ and their influence in the reproductive justice world in 2005.

I was an intern at the National Latina Health Network (NLHN) and was given the opportunity to attend the New Leadership  and Networking Initiative meeting on behalf of the organization. There I was, attending a meeting filled with young leaders addressing different social justice lenses and their connections to reproductive justice …powerful organizations that were discussing ways to transform power inequities and create long-term systemic change in their communities.

I asked myself, how do I fit in this dialogue? What did reproductive justice mean to me? Is there a place for me in this larger movement? I thought about it and this is the list I came up with:

1. I wanted to be able to walk into a women’s bathroom without a look that made me feel like I stepped into the wrong room because my interpretation of woman differs from day to day and from many other women.

Destigmatizing sex workers

By Amanda Wake, Youth Organizer

For the past 5 years I've lived off of International Blvd. in Oakland. Seeing sex workers on International is the norm at almost any time during the day. Strong Families works to de-stigmatize some of our most vulnerable communities. We work to break down the stereotypes and stigmas young mothers face through much of our work, including our music video and blogs. Sex workers face a lot of stigma and the reality is that we don't always take the time to think about what sends women down that path. Oakland organizations like Asian Health Services and the youth program, Banteay Srei are doing just that. They work with these women and have helped Oakland redefine sex workers from criminals to abuse victims. Below is an excerpt from a recent New York Times article that lifts up the stories of these young women and redefines the words sex workers:

SAFIRE Mama's Day Series: we're on the radio TONIGHT!

TONIGHT listen to the voices of ACRJ's SAFIRE youth program at 7pm PST on KPFA Radio 94.1FM either on the radio or online. SAFIRE youth Mimi Ley, Michelle Sar and Melinda Saephan, along with Youth Organizing Manager Amanda Wake, are talking about the importance of honoring the young mothers in our community and countering the stigma that young parents face.

Mimi who is 18 and new mom to Sincere, 6 weeks, speaks about the judgment, joys and struggles she faces as a young mom. Melinda and Michelle talk about the actions they are taking as part of the SAFIRE youth program to stand with young mothers in their community, including the Young Mama's music video SAFIRE worked on and the Young Families Day Celebration that happened last May along with The Center For Young Women's Development.

They will be on in the second half of the show, so tune in around 7:30pm. If you can't listen to it tonight, don't worry! You can listen to it online later via KPFA's APEX Express archives page.