The Justice Walk Travelog - July 2022

Leadership coaching rooted in equity and justice

This month's walking:The Fall of Roe is About So Much More Than AbortionThe issues around abortion rights, as they aren't nearly as simple as those of us in white bodies, especially with Christian upbringings, were led to believe. A good place to start is with Sister Song, the reproductive justice organization founded soon after the term "reproductive justice" was coined by Black women in 1994.Mainstream feminist movements have always been white-led and have mostly explicitly or implicitly denied, ignored, or undermined the concerns and needs of Black, Brown, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, financially insecure and others even more significantly impacted by reproductive rights than comfortably middle-class white people.Bodily autonomy means I have the ability to make choices about my own body.  Forcing me to carry a baby to term -- regardless of any potential threats to my health or even ability to survive that pregnancy -- strips me of my bodily autonomy.  This is exactly the same as restricting my right to choose to take hormones or have surgery to ensure my body reflects my actual gender.  Once bodily autonomy is taken away in one form, there is no way to keep it from being stripped in other forms.If I'm miserable from chemotherapy, can I be forced to continue with treatment because the doctors still "like my chances?"  If my doctors don't "like my chances" but I want to continue, can I be forced to NOT continue treatment?  The road we're on now would say that it's no longer my choice to make as my body is not actually my own. (Yes, insurance companies currently force non-treatment now when they deny coverage. Similarly horrifying issue, and related, but not the focus here.)It's critical for those of us in white bodies, who are enraged, or scared, or even pleased by this ruling, to understand that this ruling was never really about us.  White people, well-off people, have been and always will be able to find ways to end pregnancies. Access to now illegal programs or the ability to travel to get needed care was always and is now higher for white people - at a population level - than Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other people of color. Those are the people who will have worse health outcomes, who already suffer more because of our lack of access to affordable homes, living-wage jobs, maternity leave policies for everyone, high-quality childcare, universal healthcare, etc.Those who are most impacted are the ones we must follow in this fight (and every fight). We need to listen to: what they are saying they need; how we need to act and; what we need to do. And then we need to support and follow them.  Us white-skinned folks can and must be active and engaged in this fight for the basic right of ownership of our own bodies.  But we cannot be out in front.I saw a protest the other day that was all white people. And I realized, "That should give me pause around this issue." Sure, it's possible that all of the Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other People of Color in that movement were simply unable to show up.  But if an issue is one that only inspires white people to get out in the streets...there's a good chance Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other People of Color disagree, and will probably be harmed.Walk on!P.S. This article is a good starting place to learn more about reproductive justice and how it is about so much more than abortion.https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2022/0622/Beyond-abortion-rights-Reproductive-justice-takes-a-broader-view

A couple of months ago one of my friends introduced me to the podcast Maintenance Phase. The hosts explore the health and wellness industries, illuminating the scams, mistruths, and blatant "isms" and "obias" that sit at the root of these fields.I've learned so much and come to understand the depth of fat phobia and discrimination in the world, and in myself. Michael Hobbs and Aubrey Gordon do extensive research and take pains to focus on systemic and institutional problems, and potential solutions. They are clear that many things sold as "individual problems" actually need to be addressed at a population and policy level.Sounds heavy, I know. It is. It is also hysterical. I cannot recommend it highly enough.Check it out here:

Maintenance Phase

*The language on this show is not family-friendly, so you may not want to listen to it with your kids.

July is Disability Pride month. This is the Disability Pride flag.The previous flag had brighter colors and zig-zagging lines.Feedback from people with epilepsy and other neurological issues impacted by those kinds of visuals expressed concern, and the flag was updated.What a great example of not knowing, learning, and doing better!Check out this article for more information about Disability Pride, the flag, noticing abelism, and how to ensure every situation is accessible for every individual.*One quick way to honor Disability Pride month is to start using Alt Text for images across your platforms. It's easy!

This tweet grabbed me the moment I saw it and it has popped into my mind frequently ever since.It's funny, but it also calls me out.I know everyone makes mistakes.I know mistakes are inevitable because we are humans.I know the only way to avoid mistakes is to avoid action, growth, or interaction with others.And yet...when I make a mistake my instinct is to crawl under a blanket and hide forever.  All those things I know apparently only apply to others?Doing the work to create a community based on belonging, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility means uncovering our prejudices, biases, and yes, mistakes. It means a commitment to learning, repairing harm, and doing better next time.There will never be a day when I have learned all I need to learn or have grown in all the ways I need to grow. That means I will always make mistakes.When I take myself and my mistakes too seriously, or start wallowing and centering myself, I'll pull up this quote and remember that I am human.

What paths are you going down this summer? What are you exploring? I get restored outside, exploring bends in the road. Whatever restores you, please prioritize making time to do that thing. We are all better off when we are all better off.

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