Spark Off! Our Vote with Park Cannon

The very first episode of our podcast is here and ready for your enjoyment!

SPARK Off! is a monthly podcast produced by SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW based in Atlanta, GA. Focusing on content based around reproductive justice and beyond, SPARK Off! is like the first sip of coffee into the world of social justice and more.

For this inaugural episode, we speak with Park Cannon and get a peak into her life as the Democratic State Representative for Georgia House District 58, and how she got involved in public service.

Listen in and let us know what you think.

 

Apples And Abortion

IS REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM TABOO?
postersmallFall is here and with it comes Apples And Abortion, a fishbowl discussion on breaking the taboo of reproductive freedom as it relates to our beliefs and culture. The Access 4 All gathering will take place at the Little Five Points Community Center on Thursday, September 29, 2016 and is part of the United 4 Coverage action week. We will be serving delicious autumnal goodies and helpful strategies in mobilization and advocacy. Don’t miss it!

National poll shows voters support lifting abortion coverage bans including the Hyde Amendment

unnamedWashington D.C. (September 15, 2016) New polling data released today from Hart Research Associates shows that three in four (76 percent) battleground voters agree (including 60 percent who strongly agree) with the statement, “However we feel about abortion, politicians should not be allowed to deny a woman’s health coverage for it just because she’s poor.” There is broad consensus on this point across party lines with 76 percent of independents, 66 percent of Republicans, and 89 percent of Democrats in agreement. The poll also found that a majority of voters in battleground states would support a bill requiring Medicaid to cover abortion by a margin of 53 percent to 41 percent.

This mirrors a June 2015 nationwide poll, in which voters supported such a bill by a margin of 56 percent to 40 percent. Sentiment against the Hyde Amendment is especially strong among Millennials, African Americans, and Hispanics. A growing coalition of community leaders and lawmakers from across the country is calling for an end to the Hyde Amendment and similar policies that deny abortion coverage.

To mark 40 years that women have lived under the Hyde Amendment (as of September 30th, 2016) and showcase the growing commitment to lifting this harmful restriction on abortion, All* Above All—led by young people and people of color across the country—is hosting the first-ever United for Abortion Coverage Week of Action from September 25th to October 1st, 2016.

Organizations participating in the United for Abortion Coverage Week of Action are finding creative ways to send the message that they’ve had enough of politicians interfering in personal decision-making, including:

  • 130 activities hosted by 68 organizations in 38 states to show support for lifting bans on abortion coverage for low-income women;
  • activities such as concerts, yarn “stormings,” comedy shows, bike rides, art installations, and film screenings;
  •  a multi-city ad campaign amplifying the voices of Catholics across the country; and
  • celebration of local victories, like last week’s Ithaca Common Council (Ithaca, NY) unanimous passage of a resolution calling on Congress to pass the EACH Woman Act.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee, lead sponsor of the EACH Woman Act – groundbreaking legislation to lift the Hyde Amendment, said: “Forty years of the Hyde Amendment is forty years too long. I was a staffer in the House of Representatives when this shameful and discriminatory policy was first passed.  This is why I introduced the EACH Woman Act to finally make Hyde history. I’m proud that this legislation now has more than 120 co-sponsors.” Lee continued, “However we feel about abortion, none of us, especially elected officials, should be interfering with a woman’s healthcare decision just because she is poor.”

“We have a bold vision—that each of us to should be able to make decisions about pregnancy and parenting that are best for our families without political interference – and voters agree,” said Destiny Lopez, co-chair of All* Above All. “Across the country, people are FIRED up and taking bold and creative action.  We’re ready to bring the shameful era of the Hyde Amendment to an end.”

“For four decades the awful burden of the Hyde Amendment has fallen hardest on people of color, low-income families, and youth,” said Yamani Hernandez, Executive Director, National Network of Abortion Funds. “Every day on the hotlines our funds hear from over 100,000 people who have to make impossible decisions, like choosing between paying for utilities or for their abortion care. Every day we must turn people away. And every time that happens our resolve is strengthened to end the bans on abortion coverage and other restrictions that make our work necessary in the first place.”

“In the last four years, anti-choice politicians have passed a record-breaking number of restrictions on abortion with the sole intent of pushing it out of reach. Too often women’s basic health care is traded away for politics and compromise. Young people are demanding better, organizing on campus and in communities to put an end to needless political interference in our decision-making,” said Kierra Johnson, Executive Director, Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity (URGE).

“For decades, Black women have been among those most harmed by the Hyde Amendment, and today we are leaders in the fight to overturn this insidious ban on abortion coverage. Our vision is bold, our commitment is unwavering, and we will not stop fighting until every Black woman and girl has the care she needs, with dignity and without stigma, shame, or unnecessary obstacles,” said Marcela Howell, Founder and Executive Director, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda.

“Latinas already face too many barriers to getting the health care we need, and we’re sick of politicians who play games with our health,” said Jessica González-Rojas, Executive Director, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. “Forty years of Hyde is forty years too long – and if politicians think we’re going to let this cruel policy continue, they have another thing coming. Latinas are organized, mobilized, and ready to do what it takes to build a future without Hyde.”

Since the passage of the Hyde amendment in 1976, Congress has withheld coverage for abortion services from women insured through the Medicaid program:

  • Thirty-five states and Washington, D.C. deny a woman’s coverage for abortion just because she is poor.
  • This restriction has a widespread impact for women across the country as approximately 1 in 6 women of reproductive age (15 to 44) are enrolled in Medicaid.
  • Over the years, the Hyde Amendment has been extended to deny coverage to federal employees and their dependents, military service members, Native Americans, Peace Corps volunteers, immigrants, and residents of Washington, D.C.
  • As a result of the Hyde Amendment and similar restrictions, nearly 29 million women of reproductive age do not have insurance coverage for abortion.

Research has demonstrated the impact of the Hyde Amendment on women and families:

Nonprofit Civic Engagement Organizations Team Up for ‘National Voter Registration Day’ A Stronger Georgia, Every Vote Counts

ATLANTA­­ — On Monday, September 26th at 11:00a.m., community groups and individuals will meet at Liberty Plaza to highlight their efforts to register Georgia voters on National Voter Registration Day to ensure that no Georgian is left out. National Voter Registration Day takes place on Tuesday, September 27th.

At Liberty Plaza, community leaders will:

●  Address the importance of registering to vote and then voting

●  Discuss the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the Voting Rights Act in Georgia

●  Showcase examples of how voting empowers citizens to influence issues and local communities

●  Announce a day of action to register voters across Metro Atlanta.

This election is critical, with important races being decided from top of ticket all the way down the ballot to State House, State Senate, Judges, and ballot questions. This election, we want to make sure every eligible Georgia voter votes, and that every vote cast is counted. The deadline to register to vote is October 11.

WHO: 9to5 Atlanta; ABLE; Advancement Project; Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta; Atlanta Jobs with Justice; Common Cause of Georgia; Community Voters Project; Center for Pan Asian Community Services (CPACS); Environmental Georgia; Equality Foundation of Georgia; Faith in Public Life; Feminist Women’s Health Center; Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials; Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda; Georgia Muslim Voter Project; Georgia NAACP; Georgia Stand Up!; Georgia WAND Education Fund; Higher Heights for America; League of Women Voters of Georgia; McIntosh Seed; National Domestic Workers Alliance ­ Atlanta Chapter; New American Pathways; NAPAWF; New Georgia Project; Partnership for Southern Equity; Planned Parenthood Southeast; Rise up Georgia; SPARK Reproductive Justice Now!; Women Engaged; Working America; and eligible voters.

WHAT: Press conference to kick off National Voter Registration Day. Community leaders will speak to the importance of voting and call on voters to make an impact on their communities by voting.

WHEN: Monday, Sept. 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 12 p.m.
WHERE: Liberty Plaza (Liberty Plaza, Capitol Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30334)

Quotes from Partner Organizations:

Victoria Hunyh, Vice President, Center for Pan Asian Community Services: “The Center for Pan Asian Community Services (CPACS) is excited to again be a part of a nationwide effort to assist hundreds of voters register to vote at various locations on National Voter Registration Day in the state of Georgia on September 27, 2016.”

“The Coalition for the People’s’ Agenda has historically been engaged in registering voters. We participate in “National Voter Registration Day” as a means to further highlight the importance of registering to vote to have a voice in your government, as well as, ensuring your elected officials represent your needs,” stated Helen Butler, Executive Director.

Jerry Gonzalez, Executive Director of Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO): “The Latino vote has grown a lot this year and we expect it to continue to grow. We work in partnership to ensure the Latino vote will be as strong as ever and ensure that it turns out to vote. Our partnership with Univision 34 Atlanta today helps bring that message to the Latino community in Spanish as well. Su Voto Es Su Voz!”

Aisha Yaqoob, Executive Director of the Georgia Muslim Voter Project:
“Exercising our right to vote makes us a better informed and stronger nation. The Georgia Muslim Voter Project is proud to be part of an initiative to engage diverse groups of people.”

“The League of Women Voters believes that our democracy is strongest when every voice is heard. We must all make sure we are registered to vote and then exercise that right during early voting, absentee voting or election day voting – November 8th ”, states Elizabeth Poythress, President, league of Women Voters of Georgia.

“National Voter Registration Day is a wonderful moment to highlight the important work happening across the state each day and the New Georgia Project is proud to help fellow Georgians fully participate in the democratic process.” ­­ Nse Ufot, Executive Director, New Georgia Project

Civic Engagement Organizations will hold Voter Registration Drives around Metro Atlanta in celebration of National Voter Registration Day on September 27, including:

  • ●  Woodruff Park; 11AM to 2PM
  • ●  Five Points MARTA Station
  • ●  Georgia State MARTA Station
  • ●  Al­Falah Academy in Lilburn
  • ●  COSMO Health Center (G, 6185 Buford Hwy, Norcross, GA 30071)
  • ●  CPACS Main Office (3510 Shallowford Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30341)
  • ●  Georgia Gwinnett College (1000 University Center Ln, Lawrenceville, GA 30043)
  • ●  Mountain View High School (2351 Sunny Hill Rd, Lawrenceville, GA 30043)
  • ●  Univision Office Building in Buckhead

    ###

Contact:
ProGeorgia
Collette Carter, 718­928­4312, ccarter@progeorgia.org

HOW IS EXPERIENCING CAR TROUBLE JUST CAUSE FOR DEATH?

Tulsa, Oklahoma September 17, 2016 – Police shot an unarmed black man, Terence Crutcher, at close range after he walked slowly, with his hands up, to his vehicle. His death is the latest in a series of unjustified police-involved murders, resulting from deep systemic problems that continue to go unaddressed at the peril of black men, women, and even children, across the nation.

Mr. Crutcher, a father of four, was on his way home from attending classes at a local community college when his SUV broke down on the side of the road. Officer Betty Shelby arrived at the scene after police reportedly received reports of an abandoned vehicle blocking a road. Video recorded by a police helicopter and a patrol car’s dashboard camera shows Mr. Crutcher raising his hands and leaning against his car before he was tasered by a second officer, Tyler Turnbough, who had been called onto the scene by Shelby along with two other officers. Shelby then shot Mr. Crutcher, and has since been put on paid administrative leave. It was later reported that Shelby is a trained EMS basic and had a trauma bag issued in her trunk but did not render aid to the wounded victim, who lay bleeding on the ground before her. Mr. Crutcher was eventually taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The footage released exposes how racial bias contributes to systemic flaws in the justice system that put black lives at risk. An officer in the police helicopter is heard saying that Mr. Crutcher “looks like a bad dude” despite having no interaction with the victim.

Terence Crutcher’s death is the latest in almost 400 police murders of black men in the US since the start of 2015. This shooting follows police murders of unarmed black men, women and teenage boys in Ohio, Minnesota and Cleveland.

The Department of Justice will open a civil rights investigation into the shooting, as well as recommendations of whether criminal charges should be filed against the officers. U.S. Attorney Danny C. Williams said the Department of Justice’s inquiry will be separate from the local investigation. “The Justice Department is committed to investigating allegations of force by law enforcement officers and will devote whatever resources are necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are fully and completely investigated,” he said.

Speaking Monday in Tulsa, civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump said Crutcher committed no crime and gave officers no reason to shoot him.

“When unarmed people of color break down on the side of the road, we’re not treated as citizens needing help. We’re treated as, I guess, criminals — suspects that they fear,” said Crump, who is representing Crutcher’s family just as he did relatives of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed, black Florida teenager who was fatally shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer in 2012.

“So I guess it’s a crime now to be a big black man,” Crump said. “My God, help us.”

SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW stands and kneels with Terence Crutcher’s family at this tragic time and calls for a national referendum on the state of racial equality in our justice system. Preconceived notions rooted in a complex and conflicted racial history continue to affect the daily lives of black and brown people across the nation and it is our responsibility to make a difference. For more inform

ALWAYS.

ALWAYS.

ation on SPARK and the recent brutal events contact:

Dr. Krystal Redman
Executive Director
SPARK Reproductive Justice Now!
404-331-3250
krystal@sparkrj.org
www.sparkrj.org

MSM Symposium – 2016 “RETAINING GREATNESS”

FullSizeRenderThe Georgia Department of Public Health, HIV and STD Offices, present the MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) Symposium – 2016. The purpose of the MSM Symposium is to create a face to face forum for the MSM Community and Health Care Providers to meet and discuss health, cultural and policy issues.

The Symposium was created to give the community access to information and provide a safe forum with open discussions to facilitate community mobilization and encourage empowerment.

If you have questions or require technical assistance, please contact John Malone at John.Malone@dph.ga.gov or Leonardo Parker at Leonardo.Parker@dph.ga.gov.  Also, visit the MSM Symposium Webpage for additional information at: dph.ga.gov/MSM


Atlanta, GA (September 29, 2016 – October 1, 2016)

Registration – MSM Symposium 2016

Eventbrite Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/msm-symposium-2016-atlanta-ga-tickets-26565964515

The Georgia Department of Public Health is proud to announce that registration is now open for the MSM Symposium in Atlanta, GA.

Loudermilk Conference Center
40 Courtland St NE
Atlanta, GA 30303

The Board of Directors of SPARK Reproductive Justice Now! is currently accepting applications for a vacant member position.

The candidate filling this vacancy will serve as a member of the Board of Directors through December 2018. 

Organization:

SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW! (SPARK) is a reproductive justice (RJ) organization based in Atlanta, GA, working to shift policy and culture to protect and expand access to the full range of family planning options, abortion access, and sexual and reproductive health education for Black women, women of color, and LGBTQQ youth of color in the state of Georgia and the South.

Mission Statement:

SPARK’s mission is to build new leadership, change culture and advance knowledge in Georgia and the South to ensure individuals and communities have resources and power to make sustainable and liberatory decisions about our bodies, gender, sexualities and lives.

 

Vision:

SPARK envisions a world where economic, social and cultural equity, restorative justice, body autonomy and comprehensive reproductive and sexual freedom exists; where all people are empowered, valued, and able to make liberatory decisions about their communities, families and lives.

 

Value:

SPARK works to ensure the liberation of all people but our analysis is specifically anchored in the historical lasting legacy of the enslavement and exploitation of Black people in the South, this legacy includes economic disenfranchisement, racial inequality and reproductive oppression, who were at the site of labor domination, violence and experimentation. This is why we center Black women, women of color and queer/trans* youth of color.

Core Constituencies:

  • Black Women (ages 18-50)
  • Women of Color (ages 18-50)
  • LGBTQ Youth of Color (ages 18-30)

Job Description:

This is a volunteer position available on the Board of Directors. Board members will attend monthly and quarterly meetings via Skype, telephone or in person, as well as, participate in strategic planning, policy-making and fundraising efforts for the organization. Up to three individuals will be appointed to fill the vacant positions until the December 2018 elections have been held and certified and a newly elected individuals have been sworn-in to fill the remainder of these positions’ term.

Qualifications

Diversity of ethnicity, gender, economic status, and neighborhood location

We are seeking board members who represent different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientation and gender, and economic situation.

A commitment to gender justice and racial justice work

Board members will participate in the ongoing work to ensure that all genders – cis-gender, trans-gender, and gender non-conforming individuals – have full access to the health, rights, and justice with respect and dignity, as well as racial justice work rooted in the Black Southern experience to ensure the alignment of all areas of the organization with its stated mission, values and vision, relationships, practices, policies, and programs.

Ability to work with diverse communities

Board members must be able to relate to, communicate with, and respect differences of opinion, embrace all gender identities and sexual orientations, and value hearing new voices as well as lived experiences.

Management or leadership experience

SPARK would be well served to have a few individuals on its board that have experience managing nonprofit or for profit corporations, either as staff, board members, legal counsel, development professionals, accountants, human resources managers, or in other management facets.

Understanding of the role of movement building in social change

Board members values SPARK’s role as a non-profit organization with its own priorities and objectives AND as a movement building organization that contributes to other organizations and movements through analysis, strategic partnerships, and consciousness raising to make social change. We challenge racism, classism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ageism, ableism or other forms of oppression; and question mainstream culture and beliefs in an effort to shift culture and improve the lives of the most vulnerable, particularly in the South.

Commitment to innovative fundraising and resource development

Board members willing to fundraise through network of contacts, including individuals, activists and organizations working in this field.

Community Partnership/Collaboration Leadership Skills

Board members commitments to growing SPARK’s diverse network of national allies, community partners, and constituents.

 

Interested persons must submit a letter expressing interest in the board position and their qualifications for the position to Dr. Krystal Redman, the Executive Director, no later than September 16th, 5:00 p.m. (EST).

 

Following a review of the submitted materials, the board will schedule interviews with selected candidates. Not all candidates for the board vacancy will be interviewed. If you have any questions concerning the role of the Board of Directors and the responsibilities of a board member, please contact:

Dr. Krystal Redman, Executive Director, at: krystal@sparkrj.org.

Meet Our New Team Members!

We are pleased to welcome Iman Geddy and Taylor Trimble to our team!

Iman will join SPARK in August 2016 as the Digital Communications & Development Coordinator along with Taylor as the Office Administrator. Read up on them below and join us in extending a warm welcome to Iman and Taylor as they help us to build and sustain a powerful reproductive justice movement in Georgia and throughout the South!

13819438_10154981166209688_1564678767_nIman Geddy is an African writer and illustrator whose work engages the experiences of the black diaspora as it relates to gender identity. She is currently pursuing a degree in Marketing and Communications at Georgia State University with a self-directed focus on the representation of people of color in the media. As an immigrant and a muslim, Iman is sensitive to LGBTQ rights particularly within marginalized communities and hopes to further explore these intersections in the context of the South’s legacy as the birthplace of America’s civil rights movement.

 

Born and raised in Georgia, Taylor Trimble takes pride in the communities and cultures they inhabit. As co-founder of Southern Fried Queer Pride, they champion the intersections of social justice, the arts, and community building specifically in the queer and trans communities.

13820656_10154981166174688_1006480165_n

 

FYRE Media Justice Camp 2016 Extension & Announcement

We are extending our FYRE Media Justice Camp applications until THIS Thursday, June 23rd. This program centers the voices and experiences of Queer & Trans individuals and focuses on Reproductive Justice and Social Justice related issues effecting our Queer and Trans communities of color as well as our black communities. Given our goal of connecting the stories and experiences of queer and trans youth of color and young black women, we are opening space to include young Black women allies and advocates (18-30) who have an understanding of the intersections of Reproductive Justice and Queer Liberation.

Apply here.

FMJC16-IG

SPARK Stands with Women in the Fight for Reproductive Justice and Health Equity

By Shayla Robinson

In 2016, it should be an undeniable fact that restrictions around reproductive health services for women, including access to abortion care and health coverage, serve as a detrimental barrier to full health equity across the nation. From national bills, such as the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits insurance providers from covering abortion services for state and federal employees, as well as bans Medicaid coverage of abortion services, to the most recent attacks on reproductive health centers, including Planned Parenthood Centers; all of which are prime examples of systemic barriers that prohibit reproductive justice and freedom. The lack of access to healthcare and full comprehensive coverage for women, especially in Georgia, represents a serious challenge to women’s bodily autonomy and ability to make choices for herself and her family.

The current political climate highlights how these issues surrounding access to healthcare and reproductive services affect Georgia women. It is estimated that over 600,000 women in Georgia do not have adequate health coverage, owing in part to the state’s refusal to expand Medicaid. Such a failure only further increases the disparities in health and reproductive services available to vulnerable populations of women, such as women of color, Black women, women who have low-income, and queer and trans women. Lack of adequate health care only exacerbates other issues related to sexual and reproductive health, such as the high rates of maternal mortality in Georgia, with 30 deaths occurring per every 100,000 births. Unsurprisingly, these issues affect women along racial and socioeconomic lines, with low-income women of color bearing the brunt of the inequity.

Determining whether or not to have an abortion is never simple because no circumstance exists within a vacuum. Our communities’ make these decisions based on the economic opportunities, health insurance status as well as family and social support. Lack of access to services and coverage increases the complexity of the circumstances and robs women of their agency. Thus is why there is a need to focus statewide efforts on closing the coverage gap and center on Medicaid expansion activities, as well as, changing health care policy in Georgia.

Lack of comprehensive reproductive health services and education can also be seen in the state of Georgia’s funding of crisis pregnancy centers, otherwise known as “fake abortion clinics,” as opposed to funding licensed, medical clinics that provide vital health and reproductive services to women. Not only do these “fake abortion clinics” being endorsed and funded act as decoys and barriers to abortion care services, later abortion care services have also been banned in the state. Georgia, along with Florida, served as one of the only Southern states that provided outpatient abortions after 20 weeks. After the ban, which prohibited abortions after twenty weeks from fertilization, the rate of women who received abortions services after twenty weeks dropped by forty percent.  Women are increasingly forced into making decisions that do not serve or represent their needs.

Given that over 84% of women become mothers before the age of 40, it is important that women not only have adequate comprehensive sexual and reproductive and healthcare, but social and economic resources to ensure that they will be able to care and provide for their children. This is why SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW stands with Black women, women of color, queer and trans women. We stand with all women.  Ensuring that all women have equitable access to adequate health services will ensure that women will be able to thrive and make choices for themselves and their families, not out of desperation, but based on what is truly best for their lives.