A few months ago, the Chi Chapter of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kapp, Inc. hosted a movie day.
Upon learning that the movie was Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls, I happily bought a ticket.
I had studied portions of ”for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf” by Ntozake Shange in a poetry class the previous year. The class’s professor had a guest lecturer come in as we studied the choropoem. The guest lecturer was Aku Kadogo from Wayne State University and is apart of the original cast as the Lady in Yellow.
I watched as the cast and crew of For Colored Girls revealed their interpretation of Shange’s cheoropoem. I sat next to others in the theater, of varying ages, and watched as Nyla/Purple under went a “back alley” abortion. I had always been aware that women had ways of ending unwanted pregnancies. But, as I watched this moment on the screen, the reality hit of how unsafe some of those methods were.
America lives in a post- Roe v. Wade society; where woman are allowed to walk into a clinic, produce their insurance information, and have a legal medical procedure. Many details are being glossed over in that description.
Even though Roe V. Wade occurred in 1973, abortion rights have been major issues in nearly every federal and state election since then. During this time the president, governors and judges each have played a role in its political climate and in turn affected the major issue of abortion in this case.
And now, the focus on abortion is back again. This month in Michigan there will be more than a dozen new regulations that will affect the way women seeking an abortion and preventative care. The Legislature approved the laws last year.
For those of you unfamiliar with these new laws, one prevents insurance companies from covering abortions unless the woman would die without the procedure. Another allows doctors, nurse’s pharmacists, and employers from providing or paying for certain medical procedures. The final bill puts restricts on the types of buildings that abortion clinics are allowed to occupy.
What does this mean for women, and men, in Michigan?
Well, it means that the state is attempting to put restricts on Roe v. Wade. It means that preventative medicines will no longer be available to women if someone doesn’t feel comfortable providing it.
A year ago, I watched as a friend lost a pregnancy and her ability to reproduce because of the morals and values of those at the hospital that was located closes to her. And now, the world is watching as the political climate in the entire country focuses on these major issues and what’s at stake.
My position on the pro-life/pro-choice argument, like many things, is fluid. They change over time and as I grow. Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, you are allowed to make that decision for yourself and others should be able to do so as well. My concern… my fear is for my daughters and granddaughters, who might not be able to enjoy the same liberties I do; who may be forced to live as my grandmother did…
What do you think about these issues?
[Current Song: Bag Lady by Erykah Badu]
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