Bonus Pod: Prioritizing Reproductive and Racial Justice

Reproductive Justice is the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities. Monica Raye Simpson, Executive Director of SisterSong, Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, sits down with us to talk about how the framework of reproductive justice is deeply interwoven into events that are currently happening in the United States.

On January 6th, 2021, the insurrection at the Capitol made it even more explicitly clear that white supremacy is a driving force of violence in this country. In this moment the safety and well-being of marginalized communities should be prioritized and centered in every conversation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color, with African-American deaths from COVID-19 nearly two times greater than would be expected based on population. In fact, in four states, the rate is three or more times greater. Anti-abortion groups and lawmakers are exploiting the current pandemic in order to further restrict access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care, which is already farther out of reach for communities of color, young people, LGBTQ+ folks, immigrants, and low-income folks. As resources are being shifted towards COVID response, disparities in access, maternal health and mortality, abortion, and more continue to deepen. 

As the incoming Biden-Harris administration comes closer, there are concrete actions the new administration can take with support from Congress to close these gaps and center reproductive justice. Repealing the Hyde Amendment, a historically racist, federal abortion restriction, would allow Medicaid to cover abortion care in states around the nation. Recognizing that Roe v. Wade is the floor—not the ceiling—of abortion access will elevate the lived reality of so many in the U.S. and ultimately lead to policy that reflects that reality. Congress and the new administration can continue to address and fix the blatant inequalities in maternal health outcomes in this country, where Black women are 243% more likely to die from pregnancy and birth-related issues. Comprehensive sex education can be reformed to be more inclusive of race, gender- and sexual-orientation and reproductive justice. Congress can also support the BREATHE Act, which denounces and divests from the police in order to better protect communities of color.

Links from this episode

SisterSong on Facebook
SisterSong on Twitter
Coronavirus Racial Disparities, State by State
Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from the 2020 Guttmacher Survey of Reproductive Health Experiences
Information on the BREATHE Act
First 100 Days Agenda for Abortion Justice

Transcript

Jennie: Welcome to RePROs Fight Back, a podcast where we explore all things reproductive health, rights and justice. I'm your host, Jennie Wetter, and I'll be helping you stay informed around issues like birth control, abortion, sex education and LGBTQ issues and much, much more-- giving you the tools you need to take action and fight back. Okay, let's dive in.

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Jennie: Welcome to this week's episode of RePROs Fight Back. I'm your host, Jennie Wetter, and my preferred pronouns are she/her. Y'all, I'm so excited for this week's interview that I'm going to keep my regular intro pretty short. Cause y'all, it's so amazing. And I, I just, I'm so excited for y'all to hear it. You know, this past week plus has been so stressful and I'm sure like many of you, I spent a lot of time doom scrolling on Twitter and just so stressed and so unable to focus on anything. So I took some time last weekend to try to do less doom scrolling. It wasn't entirely successful because of all the things, but that's okay. Um, but I made sure to take some time to do some knitting, to like decompress a little bit, but also to do some reading. And so one of my friends and work colleagues, Stacy Murphy, wrote a book that came out last week and I'm so excited to share because I read it and I just, she deserves props because honestly I love reading. So thinking of a friend of mine wrote a book is just like magical. Um, so she wrote a book called Deadly Fortune and it came out last week and I read it and it was so good. Y'all I can't wait to see what happens next. So I did that. I did some baking. I made some cinnamon raisin bagels that were delightful. So that means I've had fresh bagels for breakfast all week. And that has helped make things a little bit better, but like many of you, I'm sure I'm still having a hard time focusing on anything. And it's just, it's, it's been a long, honestly, it's been a long four years and this last week has just been like so much above and beyond, but there's hopefully a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm sure there are still more protests and-- I'm sorry-- protest is definitely not the right word for what happened, but there are more hard times ahead. There have been lots more threatened actions in DC. So that is stressful. And it's just this constant underlying stress that is happening right now and, um, many of our lives. So trying to just keep it bright and positive and focus on the things that I have been doing that have made me happy. I think I need to, I haven't been able to focus enough to do meditating, but I think I need to take some time and do that to help try and center myself and do some things that maybe can help settle all of these nerves. So maybe I'll keep it short. That's my intro. And now maybe I'll go do some meditation. That sounds good. But this brings us to my amazing interview. Y'all I am so honored and excited that I got to speak to Monica Simpson at SisterSong. She is just such an important voice in reproductive justice. And I am just so, so honored that I got to speak to her for the podcast. So I hope you all enjoy this wonderful conversation I had with Monica Simpson.

Jennie: Hi Monica. Thank you so much for being here today.

Monica: Thank you so much for having me. It's an honor to be on this podcast and to be able to talk to you.

Jennie: Honestly, there are no words for how excited I am to have you here today. Before we get started, I guess, do you want to take a second and quick introduce yourself, including your pronouns?

Monica: Sure. So for to everybody listening, my name is Monica Simpson. I'm the Executive Director of SisterSong—we’re the National Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, she/her/hers please, with great respect and love. And um, yeah, I'm also a cultural strategist. I'm a culture worker, I'm an artist and singer-songwriter. I'm also super committed to birth justice as a birth doula in particular. So yeah, I try to put all the ways possible whenever we're given the opportunity to not just give a title, but to really also talk about the other pieces, right. If my identity is what really connects me deeply to the work.

Jennie: Yeah. That's so important. Um, so this has been a week we're recording is like within a week of, I still don't know that I have the right words to explain what happened at the Capitol. How are you doing as I take a deep breath?

Monica: It's always a loaded question. Yeah. You know, on one hand I feel really blessed, right. As you know, in my home, I feel safe in my home. Um, I have a really beautiful family who loves me and we're super connected and everyone is healthy, you know? And so, yeah, I love my community. So I feel like there is so much to be grateful for this moment. And yes, also being one of the people in this country, like so many who watched what happened, um, on January 6th, go down on my television screen. Like I there's just so much, um, I still think that there's just so much that I'm processing around what I saw. Right? Um, of course all of the fear came up for me and watching that, like these white supremacists, you know, reached our Capitol, you know, the insurrection, like it happened right before our eyes and not just our eyes, the world's eyes, you know, that saw that. And so, yes, it's this, this fear absolutely, you know, took over my body. It's like, what does this mean? What what's going to happen next? And so all of those questions are rolling around in my head. And then that was followed by this rage of if these were Black folks, these were brown folk, you know, at the Capitol doing that, what we saw on the screen would look completely different. Right? And we we'd seen it look completely different on the screen. Um, I've protected myself and, you know, I done actions at the Capitol and D.C. and Georgia and, and we've never been able to, um, do that, right, and walk away, right? That's one thing, you know, we've seen the…well, most of the, you know, rubber bullets and gas and the National Guard, like all of that is what we get met with. Right? And these folks were being helped downstairs and taking selfies and they got to go home or back to their hotel room and order room service and talk to their family. Like the, the amount of rage, you know, that I felt… it was just also still present, you know, in my body, as we're continuing to like, talk about what happened and think about what's going to happen or what's next in terms of the inauguration and all the other things that's coming down the pipe. So I have very mixed emotions of fear, of rage, of deep concern. And yeah, it's still, it's still hard to just even believe that that's something that happens to be quite honest. Right? It's like, it isn't because we know the world that we live in, but what's actually happened was just like, real.

Jennie: Right? It's like one thing to know it and feel it, but to see it is this whole other level.

Monica: Absolutely. Absolutely. Um, and so I just continued to send love and positive vibes and prayers to folks in D.C., to our elected officials who are, you know, still having to go to that so that, you know, to the Capitol and everybody who is having to deal with the aftermath of this, I can, I can only imagine, so this will be something that will forever shape, you know, this country in a, in a very, very serious way.

Jennie: Yeah. I knew in my processing of it, I'm, I live in D.C. And so there was this whole other level of, um, my office is actually right behind the Supreme Court. Um, now we're still on work from home because of the pandemic, but just thinking of just being down there and people, I know that work on the Hill or friends that live in that area and being scared for them and having these people in my city and just seeing the vast difference, like you mentioned, between what we saw this summer and how peaceful protesters were faced with, uh, the police presence versus what happened [on January 6th]. And it was all the feelings all at once.

Monica: Yeah. It's, it's insane that, you know, there are times, you know, in this work where we, we know the work so well, and we can, you know, be super articulate and like ready to go. And in these moments, it's just like, I'm having a hard time putting my words together because, you know, I, I want to curse about it. I want to scream about it. I was just, all the emotions are wrapped up in it. And so it's, it's been quite interesting to talk about, you know.

Jennie: So like, while this is the work, let's bring it to reproductive justice because you know, it really, it all ties together how reproductive rights and racial justice and all of these conversations come together.

Monica: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. It is. And, you know, when I came to this movement now over a little over a decade ago now, or right at a decade ago, and, you know, coming from organizing and so many different other spaces around LGBTQ liberation, you know, working for abolish for-profit prisons and, you know, I've done so much work, civil rights issues, all of that. And in finding this framework and finding this movement, it has been one of those movements that has been completely transformative for me, not only because I'm deeply committed to the work and I see myself in the work, um, so clearly, right. Um, but because it is a movement and a framework that centers our bodies and the experiences of our body, um, and what we need to be able to live self-determined lives in this country. It has just been these moments that we're in, right. And then what we're experiencing is bringing all of it, right? Bringing it together in such a beautiful way, but it just speaks to the transformative nature of this movement for me is I've been in deep reflection about that, you know, already, especially since the past summer and, and how we, you know, that all the things that we've, we've been fighting against, you know, of course for decades and decades, but just like the summer being yet another moment where we've, you know, we saw, we saw the need, right, for us to, um, to actively, you know, be on the front lines for racial justice in this country and to dismantle white supremacy and patriarchy and all the things that are contributing to, um, the loss of lives and the conditions, you know, in this country that we're, that we're all trying to fight against. So it's bringing all home for me. Like, it's just, it's just one of those rooms I'm in that I'm in that place right now where I'm just like, it feels like I'm in the right movement and doing the right work at the right time.

Jennie: Yeah. And I really love that. It's, it's such a good way to explain it. Right? It brings it all together. And using the reproductive justice framework really enables people to, I think, get a deeper understanding of why we need to care about all these issues and talk about them all at the same time.

Monica: Absolutely. Absolutely. And I think that's what makes the frameworks so powerful. Like when I think about these 12 Black women who came together in ‘94 to say, “Hey, we need to be thinking about this work differently. And we need to be connecting reproductive health and rights work, you know, to social justice issues.” They were just thinking so far, you know, it's sort of like, and I, and I ask them all the time because we still have access to many of those great leaders like Loretta Ross and Dr. Tony Vaughn. And like, you just think about like, what group was good, you know, maybe for us, you know, 20, over 20 something years later. And they were like, you know, they were, they were thinking about what was real for them in that moment. And the beautiful thing is it has given us a framework that has, you know, carried us into this time where we're still able to like really, um, think about our work intersectionally and to route this work at human rights in the ways that we need to, so that we are, you know, centering bodily autonomy, and being so forward, thinking about, you know, our human right to have the children that we wanted to not have children to parent. Um, and, and, and to be able to, you know, have the safe and sustainable communities that we need. And it's still, it's standing the test of time, right? Like it's still very much important right now this, this, this the way that this framework was developed and how, how we use it to organize my communities is just even more urgent right now.

Jennie: Yeah. This, this year has really been a testament to that, not just with the protest this summer, but with the COVID pandemic. Right? Like we have seen why we need to be centering Black and brown voices by seeing the impacts of COVID.

Monica: Yeah. I mean, who would have ever thought that we would be, you know, uh, in the midst of a global pandemic, I know I didn’t. Um, and, and it's just, it's, it's a fascinating, you know, it's, it's the way in which the pandemic is how it has made all of us have to think about our work so differently and, and all of that. And so when I think about the impact of COVID and in particular, the impact that it has on communities of color, right. I think the, the, the… stats now are just like, you know, of course, you know, the Black and brown communities of Black people in particular, um, are suffering disproportionately, you know, because of the COVID virus. And when we think about, you know, how this pandemic is impacting those folks who are working on the front lines, essential workers, you know, all of that, it is just it's mind blowing. And the fact, I think it's now more than 50,000 Black folks that, you know, are dead from the virus. And, you know, I think that if I'm not mistaken, I think the rate is like, um, Black people in particular are getting infected and they're die from COVID…it's like for that 1.7 times more than white people, like, I mean, it's just like the stats as we see in so much of like public health, right. That communities of color are just disproportionately more impacted from these issues. Right. And COVID is no different, unfortunately. And when we think about what that means in terms of folks being able to access care, pregnant people, um, needing to have abortion access in this time, access to contraception, all of that, we have to think about COVID in particular and you know, this and what it is pushing us to have to do to stay as safe as possible, how it put in care out of reach, unfortunately, for so many people.

Jennie: Yeah, no, this is one of those instances where, you know, you keep seeing these numbers around health disparities, whether it's the maternal mortality or COVID numbers, and it's gotten to be, well, it's so shocking. It's just not surprising anymore. And we really need to be addressing the root causes of those disparities and really digging deep so that we are not seeing these numbers anymore because they are still so shocking.

Monica: It's, it's insane. And it's, and it doesn't have to be that way. Right? When I think about, you know, all again, the myriad of issues that we see in public health, where, you know, Black and brown communities and coming in communities of color in general courts are just, you know, we're just seeing these, these horrible outcomes, right? And unnecessary outcomes. And what comes to mind for me is in particular, there's just making this connection to the work that we've been, you know, doing at SisterSong and across RJ organizations, you know, um, centering the, the need to address maternal mortality in this country. And when we first saw those stats, right, it was, you know, Black women are dying at a rate three to four times higher than white women. And then we had to get to the root cause of that. And when we got to the root cause of that, you know, we know it is racism, right? We know white supremacy is real, you know, in so many different facets of our lives. Unfortunately, it, it encompasses everything in this country. And so the, the healthcare profession isn't outside of that. And so when we think about, you know, COVID, if it's the same thing, right, we have to, to make those connections and make them very clear for people, right? Like what is really at the root cause of Black and brown communities being, um, the communities that are more disproportionately infecting, you know, impacted and infected. Yes. Right? Um, with this virus.

Jennie: So one of the things I've kind of been thinking about this past year is there are these disproportionate impacts, but I feel like we're starting to see some success in not hearing just usable usual suspects talking about it. Right? We're not just hearing the RJ community talking about it. We're starting to see this, uh, conversation breakthrough in a larger scale. And I really hope this means that this we're actually going to start seeing work happening to get to those root causes. Like we know some of them, but, you know, we, haven't seen a lot of action on addressing them. Um, and I'm hoping this larger conversation we're seeing is, is foreboding that change.

Monica: Yeah. I'm thinking that, you know, all of the things are happening, whether it's COVID or the uprising, you know, for racial justice in this country, like all of these different things that are happening and bringing so much to light and essentially like the light is just being shined, you know? And like, it's almost like spotlights happening. Right? Um, and the spotlights are giving us an opportunity to find the ways in which we can start to make those connections. And so, um, I say a lot of times when I have an opportunity to, you know, to speak to folks, you know, our silos will not save us. Right? And so, you know, um, these bigger issues, you know, have given us an opportunity to, to break those silos down and to make those connections across that movement across our community of across our sectors. Like it is pushing us to have to do that. Right? And so I do think that there is a little hope there, right. And we have to find hope in all the places that we can. Um, but I, I agree with you. I think if that, that this is giving us an opportunity to think about how we build bridges or mend the bridges that have, you know, unfortunately been shattered for whatever reason, it's giving us an opportunity to do that now.

Jennie: So thinking of opportunities, we have a really, hopefully big one coming up, um, uh, and next week, right next I've lost all track of time, the inauguration of a new administration coming in. Um, so what are some of the opportunities you see in actions that the Biden administration can take or Congress can take to make this vision of reproductive justice, a reality that is felt on the ground?

Monica: Well, I think one of the things that I'm hopeful about, you know, with this new administration is that we are going to have folks and especially with the Congress that had moved into, you know, their positions now, um, it's a very diverse group, right? It's probably one of the most diverse classes, I guess that's the right way to say it, you know, uh, folks will kind of move into, um, the power right now. And I think it's important to note that because this gives us a different, um, it gives us an opportunity to, to have our issues heard. Right? I, I think, you know, when we were doing what the last administration, what we saw was, you know, was one roadblock after the next right. One wall up after the next, around the issue that we need to talk about, whether it's repealing Hyde, you know, making sure that we're looking beyond Roe and thinking about what abortion access really looks like for our communities and how we can start to think more proactively about that as opposed to being a reactive. Um, I think it gives us an opportunity to think about maternal health and how we can start to expand, you know, those conversation, comprehensive sex education. Like it gives us an opportunity to put all of our issues on the table, uh, and to have people with, with, with interested ear, to hear and to find, you know, the best solutions. I think it gives us a better opportunity. And with like, with any administration whoever's in office, we, it is our duty to hold them responsible, right? And to give them what they need to help us right? Push our work farther so that we can make sure that more people are given what they need. They can live their best lives with this country. That's what we are all committed to, whether that's as a politician or as a person doing reproductive justice work, right? Like that's what we're all committed to. Um, and so I think that this, this, this, this new administration is giving us an opportunity to have those issues more central, you know, to the conversation. Um, and it just gives us a moment to, to be able to talk about this, not from such a, um, a place where we can like be in, in, collaboration with each other and thinking about the best solutions, as opposed to having to fight, you know, so hard to even, even to just be heard. Right?

Jennie: I'm so excited to not be on defense all the time.

Monica: I think it just gives us a moment to think about it differently. And, you know, a lot of the folks who have moved into power and, you know, into these positions, um, have been folks who have been, who have, you know, talks about our issues and been on our side. Right? Um, and so it just, there's a lot of, there's a little bit of a breath I'm taking their right. Okay. Yes. We're going to have to fight. Yes. We still have to hold these folks accountable. Yes. We're still going to have to, you know, push our work, but hopefully it won't be as hard as it has been, you know, over the past four years. Right? Um, what we've had to… just take on like attack after attack after. Okay.

Jennie: Yeah. I feel like we used to joke around that. Like there were in the… before the Trump administration, it was like, you might have a fire you needed to put out every once in a while. But like when the new administration that administration started, it was just everything, all on fire all at once. And it was just so hard to keep up the marathon of like, just trying to keep things where they were let alone find.

Monica: Right. Right. We weren't, we've been in deep survival mode, you know, over the past four years, then we're going to have to talk about the impact of that, because that is real, like, you know, being in that posture and staying in that posture of survival, um, is exhausting, absolutely exhausting, and it has various impacts. And so, um, I think that's just something else to, to hold right. When you're thinking about, you know, the changing of the guard here, and it's like, yes, there's hope on the other side, there's a little bit of, you know, just exhale, but there's also this impact that we're going to have to, to, to manage. Right? Um, when thinking about all that we we've had to endure over these past four years as well, like that that's a part of the, the transition plan as well, you know?

Jennie: Yes. For sure. Okay. So are there specific asks you have right now that you really would want to see? Um, I guess let's start with the administration that you have for the administration.

Monica: Yeah. Oh boy. I mean…

Jennie: I know there's the blueprint and we actually just did an episode talking about it, but if you had like a couple that you really like you're pie in the sky.

Monica: Oh God. I just think that if we can get to the place where we can just repeal the Hyde Amendment, I mean, that's been work that we, that women of color in particular and RJ folks have been really pushing and leading, um, for quite some time. Um, and that would be a huge win. Right? Um, so I mean, that's just that, that's one of the things we've been holding on to, and working on, um, diligently, you know, across, you know, our sectors, you know, I'm working with different partners for so long, so let's just get it done. Let's just make it happen.

Jennie: And it feels possible in a way that it hasn't before.

Monica: I agree. I really do. I think that if there has been any time that this is definitely the time, right. Um, I think one of the other things that we're really committed to, um, like, like you lifted up the blueprint just lays out so much. Right. Um, and it really gives us an opportunity to, um, to just have a very clear path forward. And so I, I would, my, I did everything that's in there because I've had the opportunity of working with brilliant folks, you know, who was, you know, a little working, you know, to, to make that, um, that document and that, that plan, that blueprint a reality. I think it's also important to lift that, you know, work that we've been in partnership with other folks on. And so, you know, SisterSong and, you know, the work that we've done in partnership with so many of our other amazing comrades in this work, you know, has, we've been really deeply connected to the movement for Black lives. And we see our work as inextricably linked. Right? And for sure, the blueprint [is] something that we are 100% behind. Right? And making sure that that is something that, you know, really get, um, it's just do. And it's something that we can move, you know, to the finish line on, and I can't help, but, you know, there's all the federal work that we, that we're going to stay on top of. Right. But, you know, as a southern based organization, you know, when I think about the work that we do, et cetera, the work that we try to support in southern states, you know, that work is equally important. Right? And so I don't want to just think about the federal work and make that the focal point. I think that where the most radical change happens and like the most radical work happens in the state. Right? And so, um, when I think about, you know, here in Georgia, we've had this incredible win and, you know, um, you know, Black women's leadership is just like on fire here…like, in awe of everything y'all accomplished. Monica: I'm an awe because, you know, it's just, it feels great to, to see it come to fruition. Right. And to know that, you know, the, the parts that we all played, you know, to, to, to get this type of win and Georgia is important and that's not to take anything away from like, those people that I give all praise to like Stacey Abrams and LaTosha Brown... And like these women who have been working on, you know, for voting rights and, and pushing against voter suppression for so long, like we, I give all my flowers to them because, you know, I, I stand with them and, um, I'm just in awe of everything that they've been able to do, you know, in the state. But that, that, that state-based work is so critical and important right now. Um, and there's like a lot of maternal health work in particular at Georgia. Um, and the proactive way that we've been moving, I think about the need for our southern States and Medicaid expansion and just other opportunities to increase you healthcare access in general in our state. Um, and so there's, there's just so much there, right. That I think is equally important as what's happening, you know, with, um, this new administration is coming in now.

Jennie: Absolutely. Like when you look at all the things you said, and then like all the abortion restrictions that have happened at the state level, sex ed, a lot of the regulations are at the state level. Like that is where the work has to be done, to be able to see the changes.

Monica: Absolutely. And, you know, Georgia was one of those states that got hit with the abortion ban. Right? And, um, we had to fight and, you know. You know, we were the lead plaintiff in this case, along with our folks with Feminist Women's Health Center and Planned Parenthood Southeast, and we, and we fought like, hell, you know, to make sure that this wasn't something that was going to be a reality for the people of Georgia and we won. And so we had to, we let kids know, you know, that we, that Black women in particular, that these are our issues too. And we are not going to go backwards. We're not doing that. Um, in our state, it's only about forward movement for us. And so that was a tremendous win and where we were excited about what we were able to accomplish with that. And it's just, we're just going to keep building off of that, that when, and all the other words that have been happening in Georgia, right. Um, and keep pushing the state. And I think that that's happening all across the southern region in particular and all across this country, right? Where, um, you know, folks are really taking their state houses back. You know, the people are speaking and the people are, are, are doing all that they can to let you know those folks and those elected official positions know that the people are speaking and they, they, they're going to listen. They have no choice, you know?

Jennie: And Monica, well, I could speak to you forever. I want to be respectful of your time. Um, so maybe I'll wrap it up with the question we always try to end with, and that's an action that our audience can take. So what can our audience take to make this a reality?

Monica: Oh, there's so much to do right now. I mean, right now we are one thing I will say is we signed on to a New York Times [letter] and the New York Times this week, um, the frontline amazing coalition of organizations working together, put forth an ad in the New York Times. Um, and we were one of those 100 organizations that signed on to this. And that is like a real time action right now that folks can do. There is a, there's a way that you can text your, um, Congress folks to move forward to the impeachment and expelling of those, um, elected officials who, um, really went against this election, right? That's a real-time action. We only have a few days and, you know, things are moving extremely fast, but we wanted folks to know that from the ground that our voices can also be heard. Right. And so that's just something that was really important for us to sign on to as an organization, um, as a membership organization that does this work on behalf of our members all across this country. That's important. I think it's also important for folks to think about like the big action I want people to do is right now is like, really choose your political home. Where is your political home? Where are you? Who are you connected to right now? What organization, what work are you connected to that you can give some of your time, your talent, your money to, to really move this, move the people's work right in this country. And we can have all the actions in the world and all the ways for you to text your people and ways for you to show up. But it really is about folks finding their political home. We hope it's with SisterSong. We would love to have you, but whoever it's with, right, we, it is time. I think this is what these times are showing us is that it is important for us to be deeply connected to, um, the powerful, progressive, radical work that's happening in this country. And if you haven't made that commitment to an organization to a cause yet it is my charge to ask you to do that in 2021. And to do that in the biggest boldest way that you possibly can.

Jennie: Well, Monica, it has been a sheer pleasure talking to you. Thank you so much for being here today.

Monica: Thank you so much for having me. This was a pleasure and I look forward to being in more conversation with each other.

Jennie: Absolutely.

Jennie: Thanks for listening everyone. And we'll see you on our next episode of RePROS Fight Back. For more information, including show notes from this episode and previous episodes, please visit our website at reprosfightback.com. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter at RePROS Fight Back, or on Instagram at reprosfb. If you like our show, please help others find it by sharing it with your friends and subscribing, rating and reviewing us on iTunes. Thanks for listening.

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