Reproductive rights group reminds Black community to ‘take the chains off’
An Atlanta-based reproductive rights organization merged social politics with community arts for its first-ever cultural strategizing session.
In an effort to boost awareness and education on human rights during the current political climate, “For the Love of Culture Vol. 1” by SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective brought music, poetry, dancing, food and conversation together Saturday in an intimate setting.
SisterSong also premiered the first volume of the organization’s upcoming documentary on its continuous fight for liberation.
“I haven’t been a part of any movement where art has not been at the center,” SisterSong Executive Director Monica Simpson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an interview.
The statement was in reference to an activist’s quote made in the new documentary.
A follower of the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s to 1970s, Simpson believes art is the answer for the turmoil she sees in society and that artists can help shift the energy.
“I truly believe that it is the art that will always save us in these moments,” Simpson said. “It’s time for us to think about what we want to create that’s different than what we’re experiencing.”
SisterSong, created in 1997 as a resource by women of color, is a national organization geared toward extending reproductive freedom. Though much of the focus concerns reproductive health, Simpson is adamant that the organization’s mission statement incorporates other areas of human rights by default.
“We were created to be the national reproductive justice collective and to focus on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) communities. We’ve always been a Black-led organization because this movement was started by Black women,” Simpson explained.
“Our work has always been about building power at the intersections and helping people understand that when you say reproductive justice, you are also fighting for voting rights, and the environment, and our economics, and all of those things that would allow us to live in a world where we could be our healthiest selves and thriving in a way to bring forth whatever it is that we were supposed to bring forth.”
On Saturday night, SisterSong featured a lineup of performers at Constellations ATL, a workspace just down the street from the King Center. The venue is dedicated to carrying on the historic civil rights legacy of the Sweet Auburn neighborhood.
Tunes of neo-soul from the DJ and soulful melodies from a live band invited guests to take a seat. A spread of jerk chicken and plantains, beef patties and Jamaican Rasta pasta from 2 Pieces of Toast encouraged everyone to grab a plate.
The night kicked off with the premiere of “Theory of Change,” SisterSong’s short documentary on social activism, specifically within the Black community. The organization showcased how Black communities have had to consistently fight for equal rights.
The film reminisced on the strength of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership, shared Toni Morrison’s steady words of encouragement and showcased how Black people have manifested their artwork as resistance to tyranny.
“I really want people to understand how powerful our culture is. It has been used against us. It has been studied. It’s been extrapolated in so many ways for others to use for their benefit,” Simpson said in the documentary. “I am so committed right now, more than ever, for us to not only understand the power of our culture, but for us to understand the importance of using it strategically in the fight for liberation.”
Spoken word poet and activist Staceyann Chin said in the documentary that art has the power to move people.
“There is no movement in history, that I have admired, which has not had art at its center,” she said.
The space at Constellations ATL was made to create conversation. Set up like a cozy living room with couches and long tables, it invited people to engage with one another as if they were family members ready to share conversation over dinner.
Simpson emceed the gathering, introducing each act while having occasional conversations with the audience to help foster a close-knit environment.
Poet Amena Brown reminded folks that society can’t confine Black women within a box.
“We are Black girls who make magic. We are Black girls who rock. When we lift each other up we cannot be stopped,” Brown chanted. “Black girl, we are us. We are me and you. Never tell a Black girl how to Black girl. We Black girl in every way we want to.”
Singer Raheem Kashon reminded those in the Black community to reclaim their right to femininity, and performing artist Madam C.J. called out biased media. Other performers proclaimed romance as another — and often forgotten — form of political protest.
“(Judas’) betrayal (of Jesus) stands steadfast as a tale of caution to leaders who think they can ride the arc of revolution without cost,” Chin bellowed to the crowd. “Everything costs, my grandmother would tell me. The only question is: Who will pay it? And sometimes it has to be you. Another time it will have to be me. We all have to participate, be it with our voice, or with compliance, or with civil disobedience. ”
As an artist herself, Simpson also sang some of her original songs to fight freedom and encourage marginalized people to “take the chains off.”
“I’m very committed to making sure that artists and creativity isn’t seen as a transactional piece of movement building, but that is actually centered in what we do,” Simpson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The creatives in this world hold a particular gift of imagination and openness to thinking outside of the box. And for me, I think that that is critical in these times.”
Clarification
This story has been updated to reflect the renaming of SisterSong’s event to “For the Love of Culture Vol. 1,” to correct the name of the documentary and to clarify that the story’s first quote was paraphrasing a quote said during the documentary.
About the Author
Brooke Leigh Howard is a reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Black culture team, UATL.
