Hi John,
As I continue to trudge through to-do lists and feel the weight of every news notification, I remind myself of some wisdom I gained 10 years ago from my sophomore band teacher. It was our last performance before a big competition. She said, "No matter what happens, the sun will rise again tomorrow, and life will go on."
That was astonishing to my 15-year-old self. Today, I know the world will continue to spin. The recovering overachiever inside me wants to fix everything and correct every injustice, which I simply cannot do. What each of us can do is direct our energy and time to where it is needed most, and where it can really make a difference. As we weave through some of the heaviness in this newsletter, I hope you don’t despair, but instead focus on what a new day can look like.
NEW REPORT 🚨 Health Care Deserts Put Women’s Lives at Risk 🩺🏜️
As communities across the country reckon with the state of reproductive health care access, deserted communities are feeling a harder strain. Our latest report, “When Women Are Deserted: The Prevalence and Intersection of Abortion Care Deserts, Pregnancy Care Deserts, Broadband Internet Deserts, and Food Deserts in the United States,” details how systemic inequities in reproductive health care and resources disproportionately impact women and women of color.
A "desert" is an area lacking crucial services such as abortion care or other pregnancy care, or resources that impact health like nutritious food or broadband internet. More than 41 million women in the United States live in at least one desert (with nearly 7 million living in two or more overlapping deserts.) Women living in intersecting deserts face intensified, potentially life-threatening harm to their maternal health and economic stability that could all be prevented with access to consistent care and resources.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month Spotlight 💙✊🏾
In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, in the midst of a political climate that has become even more hostile to survivors, we are highlighting a survivor who was able to achieve justice after workplace sex harassment and discrimination. Diana Portillo, a trans woman, was harassed and discriminated against while working at a McDonald’s in Washington, D.C., and then fired after complaining about the discrimination. After a trial last August, a jury ruled that Portillo experienced a hostile work environment and awarded her almost $1 million in damages. The TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund, housed at NWLC, was proud to support her throughout her legal journey.
Must-Dos and Must-Reads ✅📖
- Donate to RAINN in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. You can also donate to the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund to help support survivors.
- The SAVE Act passed in the House of Representatives this month, which would disenfranchise voters who changed their names after birth. Read our blog from late March, and contact your senators and tell them to vote against the SAVE Act.
- Tell Congress to save Head Start from the chopping block and prioritize children and families.
- Check out our blog on how the anti-abortion playbook is being used to destroy access to birth control.
- Jessica’s monthly media menu 🍽️( (if you’re looking to spice up your media diet)
Person That Lived Rent-Free in My Head This Month: Tracy Deonn ⚔️🩸
To cope with our increasingly dystopian world and long travel days, I dove head first into reading Legendborn, both my longest book and first fantasy book. Tracy Deonn built a world rich in lore, young adult angst, and Black culture that truly transported me while also grounding me in how I process grief, connect with my ancestry, and navigate the world. I have already picked up the second installment in the series and will be first in line for any art from Tracy Deonn’s mind.
Feminist Moment of Joy: Imperfect, Empathetic, and Community-Minded Action ❤️
Throughout this month, I have led with “imperfect action.” There will always be something to reconsider, something to overthink, something to stall on, but if we do our best to prepare and learn and still feel like we fall short, we only harm ourselves and others with our inaction.
Maybe I haven’t read everything in the world about mutual aid, but I can still show up for my neighbors. Maybe I don’t know anything about Jewish holidays, but I can still attend and engage with a friend’s Passover dinner. Maybe I don’t have the money or a large enough space to host my friends, but we can meet up at a park together and bring what we can.
As I mentioned earlier, I am a recovering overachiever; the only person that I have expected perfection from is myself. I didn’t fully understand that I had this mindset until I started therapy and realized just how unfair that was. As we continue to confront challenges, we must be open-minded and also decisive. I’ve been chipping away at it bit by bit, and I hope you join me.
In solidarity and action,
Jessica Baskerville
she/her/hers
Media Relations Manager
National Women’s Law Center
