A Note from Cheryl Sabel, President, Alabama NOW:
A heartfelt "thank you" to everyone who joined us for
Alabama Reproductive Freedom Summer. And, please know that
you "joined" us if the only thing you could do was send us
your good wishes. Many of the messages we received were read
at our opening and closing rallies. The messages of support
encouraged us; and the financial contributions allowed us to
pay for necessary permits, office space, utilities, sound
equipment, security, housing for activists who took off from
their jobs and traveled to Birmingham to join us, and a host of
other expenses necessarily incurred to fund a week such as
ours.
 National
NOW officers gave us their unwavering support -- giving us a
space on the web and sending Olga Vives, Executive VP, to
join us on the front lines.
Our MidSouth NOW region was
awesome -- activists came from Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Michelle
Colon, MidSouth Regional Director, came for the entire week, and
was at the New Woman, All Women clinic EVERY day, ALL day
long!!
Montgomery NOW President Amy Applegate also made a
Birmingham
hotel her home for 8 days, as she participated in every
event, and coordinated clinic escorting EVERY morning.
Birmingham NOW President Kim Adams began planning and
holding weekly meetings in April in preparation for OSA's
visit. She was the lead coordinator, and managed the email
account and hotline calls. And member Rachael Doughty acted
as Treasurer and general "detail person".
 Our
speakers for our two rallies and abortion speak-out and
interfaith forum traveled from across the country, at their
own expense, to stand with us. (See the
list of our
incredible rally speakers -- truly awesome and inspiring!)
Montgomery's own Rev. Paul Britner,
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, traveled to Birmingham,
along with his wife Karen Nelson (an AL NOW member) to
attend the kick-off rally. Paul came back the next day to
participate in and moderate the Reproductive Rights
Interfaith Forum. Several days later he again traveled to
Birmingham. to help defend New Woman, All Women clinic, and
finally, joined us to give a WONDERFUL
speech at our closing
rally.
 If you contributed in any way, you played a part in our
victory -- not one woman was denied access to the quality
reproductive healthcare she was seeking. Further, our
ranks/movement grew as locals joined us, outraged by what
they saw and heard from Operation Save America.
About the photos -- the woman with the raised fist in the
top photo is Diane Derzis, owner of New Woman, All Women Clinic. The middle
photos are of Olga Vives (left) and Rev.
Katherine Ragsdale (Religious Coalition for Reproductive
Choice -- kick-ass amazing).
... and the last photo is of Rev. Britner.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Sabel
President, AL NOW
P.S. Check out an
article about this important week of actions. |
