Dear Beloved Reader,

I began this post during Friday’s writing group, where I was when the Supreme Court released the Dobbs decision—overturning Roe v. Wade, restricting legal abortion access, and undercutting reproductive justice.

I felt held in deep companionship through the news. And I remain incredibly grateful for activist-educator-writer-friend-colleagues who show up in the world with commitment and care. Now, more than ever, I feel the need for community—for knowing that I’m not alone in struggling and striving again to act for justice.

State violence takes many shapes. Today it looks like the Supreme Court undermining rights—which is happening across multiple decisions (Dobbs, among others).

Again, my heart hurts, as it does each election day, through witnessing and being complicit with the current U.S. governing structure—a way of organizing ourselves that perpetuates oppression. Again, I cry out: “this is so wrong!”—lamenting and roaring in both grief and rage. Again, I ground myself in the principle of both/and—countering resistance fatigue and fanning inner flames. And, again, I ask myself: What am I feeling? thinking? doing?

What am I feeling?

I’m feeling rocky rather than sure-footed. My body hurts, even while I feel disembodied. I notice the swings across fight, flight, freeze, and appease. And I notice that grief is in my chest: my heart and lungs literally hurt.

These feelings come at a time when I’m already going at a slower pace with decreased capacity. I had covid earlier this month, and it’s taking me time to heal.

I know I’m not alone in needing greater rest and slower response times these days. The Supreme Court’s gut-punch is one of so many. How do we live and connect in the ongoing pandemic, climate crisis, white supremacy, settler colonialism, heteropatriarchy, structural violence, and everyday oppression? How do we care for each other through collective grief?

What am I thinking?

As usual, when state violence happens, I look to social media for a sense of comraderie and to find words that are grounding. I’m appreciative for some posts and framing, but that appreciation is undercut by many more posts that leave me feeling more alone. I realize that I’m disappointed and hurt by people in my life. I want and need—deeply long for—investments in social justice, community care, and collective responsibilities.

I’m longing for the white people in my life—including me—to push against white feminism in every breath. I’m longing for deeply politicizing education that decenters the nation-state (a full abolitionist stance). I’m longing for collective action and collective release, including release from the way things are and have been done. I’m longing for shifts in our ways of being, doing, and relating. I’m longing for shared striving toward justice.

What am I doing?

Along with these expressed longings, I’m writing to share gratitude and resources:

Thanks @adriennemareebrown and @thebengsons for this hymn and affirmation: “We will not / We will not / We will not be controlled / I am sovereign in my body / I am sovereign in my soul.”

Thanks @beccakillyjoy for sharing this resource on abortion safety plans.

Thanks to a newsletter from Lama Rod Owens with the subject line “Tending to a summer of apocalypse” (yes: apocalypse is the word to name, again, where we are).

Thanks always for SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective’s work on reproductive justice (here’s a link to donate).

Thanks to @sistersong_woc Executive Director Monica Simpson for this statement and interview.

Thanks for the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Statement on Supreme Court Ruling Overturning Roe—a statement naming disproportional harm and dehumanization of Black women, girls, trans, and gender-nonconforming people.

Thanks to @vanessa_loba (Vanessa Mártir) for offering the upcoming class “Write Your Abortion Story” (July 2nd, pay what you can).

Thanks @charisbooksandmore for naming the injustice and for holding space to connect.

Thanks Brittney Cooper for again offering context, story, and action: “God Help My Friendship With White Evangelicals After Dobbs.”

Thanks to the editors from Yes! and The Conversation for “Roe Has Been Overturned. Now What?” Preview: “Scholars offer five takeaways for understanding the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision revoking the constitutional right to safe, legal abortion in the U.S.”

Thanks to many of you planning and participating in demonstrations. Please share any announcements, resources, or other materials you’d like me to pass along.

Toward striving for reproductive justice and justice in all forms.
Toward reaching toward longings with and alongside you.
Toward uplifting forms of inspiration and visioning.

Beth

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This post is written by Beth Godbee, Ph.D. for Heart-Head-Hands.com. Subscribe to the newsletter for additional resources and announcements.  

If you’d like to process in-person, the next recharge and recommit gathering is this Wednesday, June 29th 1-2:30pm ET. These gatherings devote time to knowing and living out commitments to justice. Each gathering includes introductions, guided meditation, journaling, and small-group conversation.

And the writing group is currently open for new participants. We meet weekly on Fridays 10am-1pm ET, and we are a small group who builds relationships and supports each other around writing.