I was in the 8th grade the first time I heard this song that addresses many of the intersecting issues (race, gender and class) that surround reproductive justice in America. My friend Nicole played it in class that year and it was one of the first times I remember really understanding the power that music can have in making bold political statements.
The song talks about the complex emotions of the pregnancy decision, the nightmare of going through protestors in front of a clinic and the shame and stigma that they make women feel. It also addresses the political landscape of the time, name dropping Supreme Court Justices Thomas and Souter and bringing up the hypocrisy of government cutting support to families and parents while at the same time seeking to limit access to family planning services like abortion.
Finally, it makes the statement that abortion and the desire to control our reproductive destinies is a basic part of human history that cannot be legislated away:
“If Roe v Wade was overturned, would not the desire remain in tact
Leaving young girls to risk their health
Doctors to botch and watch as they kill themselves”
The song gave me the chills then and still does now. Looking back at how this song affected me then, it’s not so surprising that I’m an abortion provider now!
