Advocating with SisterSong

Sarah Rich is a Policy Representative for NARAL Pro-Choice America.

This year, as the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective annual membership conference approached, SisterSong asked NARAL Pro-Choice America for our assistance in planning an advocacy day following the conference - the first time that SisterSong has organized such an event. We had sponsored the Sistersong conference in the past and were excited about the prospect of working together again.

We partnered with Sistersong to prepare many of the conference participants to lobby members of Congres s. Most people at the conference had never lobbied before. As we went over the details of preparing for the visits, it was a great experience to be a part of this kind of grassroots lobbying--and it turned out to be even more interesting than we originally had thought.

Coincidentally, the first day of the conference fell on the very day that the House debated and voted on the health reform bill, including the Stupak amendment. Eager to take action - with more than 300 conference participants, largely representing women of color reproductive-justice organizations, just blocks from Capitol Hill - SisterSong and other key contributors marshaled the group to lobby House members hours before the Stupak vote. As NARAL is located in DC and therefore our staff are familiar with the layout of the House office buildings, as well as with lobbying tactics, NARAL staff at the conference helped direct a group of participants to several offices. The women and men in this group found themselves in discussions with a few Congress members themselves.

On Monday, with some lobbying experience under their belts, as well as a more formal training held the day before, approximately 70 conference participants attended at least 40 meetings with their House members and senators for the advocacy day. Seventy percent of these individuals had never done a lobbying visit before; they represented newly heard voices from women of color advocating for expanded reproductive freedom.

We were particularly excited that we were able to contribute to SisterSong's conference in this way. We think this work will set the stage for future collaboration with SisterSong and other women-of-color choice groups.