V-P Kamala Harris Rallies For Women’s Reproductive Rights

By Asia Alexander
Howard University News Service
ATLANTA (HUNS)

In the heart of the Deep South, Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage in Atlanta to lead a rally centered on reproductive rights.

Harris opened her speech with a poignant story about her high school best friend, who sought refuge with her after enduring abuse from her stepfather. She then connected her best friend’s story with the death of Amber Nicole Thurman, who died due to inadequate care related to medical abortion.

“I started my career as a prosecutor specializing in crimes of violence against women and children,” Harris said. “What many of you may not know is why. When I was in high school, my best friend was molested by her stepfather and I said, ‘Look, you have to come stay with us.’ And so I made the decision early in my life that I wanted to do the work that was about protecting the most vulnerable.”

Reproductive rights is not only highly controversial but also essential for Generation Z, whose votes are crucial in shaping the outcome of this election.

Youth of color account for about 45 percent of the Gen Z electorate in 2024 and 47 percent of newly eligible voters in this demographic.

Elise Sampson, a Spelman College student, attended the rally as a member of  the student government association and as president of Black Girls Vote. She believes that electing a woman as president would have a profound impact on young Black women.

“I just found out about the case with the young woman here in Georgia on Tuesday when Governor Walz visited our campus,” Sampson said, referring to Thurman.

“And yes, and I think that reproductive care is health care, and I think that having a woman be able to advocate for things like reproductive care is super monumental, ” she said.

Earlier this week, a report by ProPublica went viral after revealing that Georgia residents Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller died due to inadequate care related to medical abortion.

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In Georgia, abortions are prohibited after six weeks of pregnancy, aligning with a wave of restrictive measures across the U.S. Currently, 22 states either ban abortion outright or impose stricter limits earlier in pregnancy than what was allowed under Roe v. Wade.

Georgia Rep. Park Cannon addressed the challenges Black women face in Georgia during the rally.

“I am angry,” Cannon said. “Women are suffering. Women are dying across the state of Georgia, rural communities and good people. They’re struggling because of hospital closures.”

According to the Center of Reproductive Rights, Black women in Georgia are 3.3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. Georgia’s own health experts believe that more than half of confirmed pregnancy-related deaths in the state are preventable.

Candance Johnson is an Atlanta native who is enthusiastic about Kamala Harris being a candidate, but she is also hesitant about bringing a child into this world of political chaos.

“As a Black woman, the mortality rate already is high,” Johnson said. “I’m nervous to even attempt to even get pregnant at this point, because, God forbid something were to happen to me, I did an emergency abortion, but the doctor at the hospital might be afraid to even perform it to like because he may think that he or she may get charged for murder or something.”

The phrase “We are not going back” resonated throughout the room, underscoring a key theme of the gathering. Kamala Harris, alongside political representatives, doctors and students, emphasized to the public that this is not an election to take lightly.

“This election is a fight for the future, and it is a fight for freedom,” Harris said. “In America, freedom is not given. It is not bestowed. It is our right.”

Asia Alexander is a reporter for HUNewsService.com and business manager of The Hilltop at Howard University.

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