Local activists have been taking many forms of action recently in the lead-up to and immediately after the Supreme Court’s opinion was released, officially over turning federal protections to abortion. I am so grateful to have been a part of them. We saw thousands of people show up for abortion rights nationwide, but I want to take a moment to highlight the smaller local organizing efforts, that are crucial to the movement. Here in North Carolina, myself and local advocates with help from our friends at Shout Your Abortion dropped a banner over Interstate 40 in Greensboro during rush hour that read, “NC WILL AID AND ABET ABORTION”!

Because we will! Abortion is still legal in North Carolina, and hopefully it will stay that way. People also gathered downtown to be in community, hold signs, and share their own abortion stories. The power I felt from being in community with such resilient people is what is keeping me going as we navigate an ever changing and chaotic political and social landscape.

Messages of frustration and rage that government bodies can control such personal and intimate parts of our lives were expressed. But what stuck with me the most is: we keep us safe. That’s why we aren’t just working to get people abortion care, but also bringing sunlight to expose forces that are trying to prevent people from getting the care they need. Greensboro activists are not only shouting out their support for abortion access, but stomping out anti-abortion fake clinics getting in the way of that care. Our communities need to know where they can find safe, compassionate care, and who will try to manipulate them and work against their own best interests.

The most basic right to control our own bodies is under attack, and we cannot expect the systems they created these harms to fix them in all of the nuanced and individualized ways we need them too.

Knowing the real, supportive resources in your state and community for abortion care is essential to keeping us safe from forced pregnancies and parenthood, and knowing what to avoid is equally vital.