During these times I can’t help but think about my mother. When I was young my mother told me that if I ever felt I that I needed an abortion that I should never feel any shame. That when she was younger she underwent one, and if she hadn’t she wouldve never had the opportunity to meet my father, me or my siblings. That vulnerability and honesty shared between a mother and a daughter is something I will always be grateful for. I feel so lucky to have been able to have that level of candidness with her and didn’t realize how rare the types of conversations we had together were until after her passing. That every decision she made regarding her body set her up so we could be together one day. If it wasnt for an abortion I wouldn’t have existed and would have never met the wonderful woman that was mother. On what feels like the eve of women losing their autonomy in this country I cant help but reflect on how radical these conversations between a mother and daughter can be. How statistically black women have almost a 50 percent risk of miscarriage and have a maternal mortality rate that is four times higher than any other race. The opportunities that my mother had and I have been able to have only exist because of a woman’s right to choose. These racist, sexist laws exist to keep the poor, poor, and women (disproportionately black women) in a constant state of subjugation. Despite all this I still have to be aware of my privilege. I’m lucky to live in a state like New York where abortion care is codified into law ~ In my bio I’ve linked the The New York Abortion Access Fund (NYAAF) - whose goal is to support New Yorkers and people traveling to New York State to access abortion care through financial assistance, case management, and connections to resources <3 Thank you to everyone who shared their stories. Thank you mom for always being so honest with me and making me brave. I love you and miss you every day