Our Statement of Solidarity with Baltimore Protestors

The National Network of Abortions Funds is in solidarity with Baltimore, and communities across the country who seek safe and equitable neighborhoods for their families. We know reproductive justice is predicated on the ability to have children if, when, and how you choose, and critically, to be able to raise those children in an environment where they are safe from violence at the hands of the state. When families of color forgo having children because they aren’t sure they will come home safely at night, when children are made parent-less because of police brutality, and when financial means and opportunities are withheld from communities of color, it’s a reproductive justice issue. The very real threat of police and state violence has an impact on communities of color, and how they have, or don’t have, children, and the chances in life those children get. It’s critical for organizations and individuals who support reproductive justice to stand with, and offer real support to, those fighting for liberation in an unsafe system.

We also know this is an issue that affects people other than men. Women, girls, trans and gender non-conforming people of color face police brutality and state violence in record numbers, including high rates of sexual violence. In terms of abortion access, asking someone to report a rape to the police to be able to have access to abortion means that we’re often asking people to engage with harmful and fear-inducing environments to get abortions they need. This is a reproductive justice issue, and we must all speak out.