Hi everyone! I hope you are well! This week’s blog is about the reproductive justice walkout that we had on Thursday in the wake of the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion. If you have any questions about anything Amherst-related, please email me at sgoldsmith24@amherst.edu.
Response to the Draft Opinion
As I’m sure you all know, a draft opinion by Justice Alito on the Dobbs v. Jackson case was leaked by Politico on Monday (5/2/2022) night. The draft states that Roe v. Wade should be overturned, and at the time the draft was written, the majority of SCOTUS agreed with the opinion. The opinion has sent people across the country scrambling, and Amherst’s campus is no exception.
An email was sent from the Association of Amherst Students (essentially our student government) to all students to express support for bodily autonomy and personal health decisions, and to share a message from the Reproductive Justice Alliance on campus. The message included plans for a walkout to the Amherst town green (more detail below).
Lastly, signs by the Reproductive Justice Alliance were spread all over campus detailing how much money different members on Amherst’s Board of Trustees have donated to anti-abortion funds and politicians. The amounts are in the tens of thousands of dollars. Personally, I appreciate this blatant calling-out of the Board of Trustees, and I hope that the increased awareness that results from these signs will help us change the members on the board.
Reproductive Justice Alliance Walkout
The walkout was planned by the Reproductive Justice Alliance in coordination with at least twenty other colleges and universities across the country. Students left their classes at 2 PM on Thursday (5/5/2022) and met on the Val quad (the green space in front of Val, our dining hall). We were encouraged to wear green, and all together walked to the center of the town of Amherst. There were some planned speakers, including students and a professor, and then the microphone became open for anyone who wanted to talk. I found the walkout to be moving, and a sign of resilience and support for those who will be affected if the Court decides to overturn Roe.
Thank you for reading, and don’t lose hope! If you have any questions, please email me ????.