Activism

Oakland Youth Rally in Support of Roe v. Wade

“We are the next generation. Some of my friends are old enough to vote. We can’t do anything to change problems and issues that we don’t know anything about,” said Amara Hagwood, a 16-year-old activist, and junior at OSA who was one of the organizers of the protest. The protest was promoted on Instagram, with the flier being shared on countless students’ stories.

Published

4 years ago

May 29, 2022

Oakland Post

Oakland School of the Arts students march towards Oakland City Hall on May 9. Photo by Daisha Williams.

By Daisha Williams

In protest of the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade, students from Oakland School for the Arts (OSA) led a schoolwide march to Oakland City Hall on May 9.

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, its effect will be tremendous. Eighteen states already have laws in place that say they will ban abortion if the 1973 ruling is overturned. According to the Guttmatcher Institute, 58% of people with uteruses of reproductive age will live in states that don’t support abortion.

Countrywide outrage has developed now that Roe v. Wade may get overturned. The youth at OSA are no exception.

OSA students showed their outrage during a lunchtime march. Students in grades six-12 marched down Telegraph Avenue from 19th street to Oakland City Hall with signs, chanting, “F— the court and the Legislature! Women are not incubators!” After reaching just outside City Hall, a few juniors and seniors gave speeches.

Tai-Ga Min, a senior and one of the speakers at the protest said, “I think, regardless of age, you have to be aware. There’s no time in your life where you should stop learning about rights or fighting for your own or other people’s rights. I think it’s definitely true that young women, trans people, [and] disabled people are most vulnerable to being harmed by this [the overturning of Roe v. Wade] so it’s important to know what your rights are and to fight for them.”

Abortion might not be banned nationwide but banning it in nearly 20 states will affect people all over the country. For example, when Texas issued a six-week ban on abortion last year, people travelled out of state to receive abortions. With more states banning abortions, there is potential for those states that do provide abortion services to be overwhelmed. Furthermore, people who live in states without abortion access and do not have the resources to travel out of state will be unable to get legal – and safe– abortions.

Women of color statistically experience higher poverty rates according to the Associated Press which means that women of color are likely to be most affected. Legal abortions will be virtually impossible for minors to access, especially if they come from poor families or are in the system.

The Roe v. Wade case started in 1969 when Norma McCorvey got pregnant and was unable to access abortion care because it was banned in the state of Texas where she resided. Her lawyers filed a lawsuit against her local district attorney, Henry Wade, claiming the abortion laws in Texas were unconstitutional.

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled in her favor. The Court located the point of “capability of meaningful life outside the mother’s womb,” about 24 weeks into a pregnancy. The case also deemed restrictions on abortions unconstitutional based on the 14th Amendment’s right to privacy.