Philadelphia, PA — Councilmember Kendra Brooks (At-Large) issued the following statement on the draft majority opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) that reveals an intention to overrule Roe v. Wade and drastically reduce access to safe abortions across the country:
“Since reading the Supreme Court draft majority opinion on Roe v. Wade, my heart has been on fire. I feel consumed by rage, sorrow, and grief. And at the same time, after years of disappointment and shock over decisions made by leaders of both political parties, I’m not surprised.
“Limiting the freedoms of Black women and others by restricting abortion access is nothing new, but rather a return to the kind of racist control and punishment that defined this country’s founding. I come from ancestors who overcame unspeakable struggles—who endured enslavement, subjugation, and dehumanization on a scale I will never know. I come from ancestors who were raped and forced to bear the children of their abusers, only to watch those children survive the same torture they were subjected to.
“We know that if Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortions in all states will continue, but safe abortions, abortions for poor people, abortions for people of color, and abortions for our most vulnerable community members who need them most will be increasingly difficult to come by. This is clearly not about protecting life, but about limiting the freedoms of marginalized people who are already subjected to underfunded education, unaffordable housing, poor healthcare access, toxic neighborhoods, and a broken social safety net.
“I believe firmly in a person’s right to make their own choices about their body, their healthcare, and their lives. As someone who has had an abortion, and as someone who knows and loves countless other people who have had abortions, I know that abortion access is a life-affirming policy that must be fiercely protected.
“Abortion is still legal, but it is clearly under attack. I resolve to fight alongside leaders in the reproductive justice movement for the future that our kids, grandkids, and communities deserve—where people have autonomy over their bodies, agency over their healthcare, and access to the fully-funded public goods they need to live healthy, empowered, self-fulfilled lives.”
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Photo: Anthony Quintano used under Creative Commons license.
