We are magical creatures. Period. In this episode, host Luna Malbroux kicks it with AJ Haynes, Louisiana Abortion Fund's Board Chair. The two discuss the vision of reproductive justice as spellcasting - in that it names not only the future one may want to live in, but makes way for creating change in the present.
The Louisiana Abortion Fund (formerly the New Orleans Abortion Fund) is a community fund that assists community members as they overcome the economic and geographic barriers erected to prevent them from accessing abortion care. By providing low-barrier financial support for abortions, plus support for travel and childcare, LAAF invests in the liberation of all Louisianans. LAAF works to center Black people, Indigenous communities, people of color, queer folks, and immigrants, because when society’s most marginalized are free, all be free.
Special thanks to Seratones for The South Has the Answer's theme song, "Get Free"
A.J. Haynes is a queer Black & Filipina singer, songwriter, educator, and reproductive freedom advocate from Louisiana. She is the leader of genre-expansive soul power band Seratones which has garnered national and international acclaim. She is the board chair for the Louisiana Abortion Fund and has over a decade of experience in abortion care from working as a patient advocate at Hope Medical Group in Shreveport, LA. She believes art is part of collective community care and that our bodies are sites for liberation and joy.
Luna Malbroux, Founder and Chief Vibe Officer of Joy Channel is an experienced facilitator, educator and leader on creating inclusive spaces, Luna is most notably, a self-described ‘joy evangelist’, who believes that fostering belonging, communication, connection and fun (yes, fun!), is the missing link in many approaches to diversity, equity, justice and inclusion initiatives. A skilled storyteller, her practices include using empathy, humor, and personal narrative to help build group dynamics and consensus. Luna has years of experience guiding small to large national organizations in building more authentic inclusivity to cater to the needs of elected members and clients.
She is also an award winning comedian, writer, musician and public intellect whose work has been featured in KQED, NPR, The Atlantic, PBS, Glamour magazine, and more. She loves jamming as a member of her band, The Moon and The Man, and most proud of her special abilities to make a hearty pot of gumbo, appropriately initiate a slow clap that erupts into a round of applause, and persistence in roller skating even though she always falls down.
Speaker 1 (00:00:00):
Uh, we are magical creatures.
Speaker 2 (00:00:41):
Go on ahead and make yourself comfortable because this is, the South has the answers. I'm your host, Luna Malrow here. We get to laugh with laugh, that's short for Louisiana Abortion Fund. And we get to kike with the thought leaders, organizers, and champions of a reproductive justice movement that includes liberation for all of us
(00:01:05):
Today. You have the pleasure of hearing from AJ Haynes, a queer black and Filipino singer songwriter educator, and reproductive freedom advocate from Louisiana. She's the leader of the genre expanse of soul power band, sero tones, which has garnered national and international claim. She's the board chair of Louisiana Abortion Fund and has over a decade of experience in abortion care. She believes art is part of collective community care, and that our bodies are sights for liberation and joy. AJ joined us from her southern cottage, so you might hear some sounds of hummingbirds buzzing around and a tambourine like rattling. We never quite figured out what it was, but let's chalk it up to AJ being incredibly musical all the time.
Speaker 3 (00:01:51):
I'm so excited to personally have this conversation. I'm so excited for people to hear this conversation because I'm in these, I'm in these equitable streets
Speaker 1 (00:02:25):
That's, so I needed to hear that because I have, I do struggle with a lot of like, self-doubt. And I think that comes from, you know, like we're making things that we haven't seen before, right? Like the path that I've created, I don't see a lot of other people doing a lot of things that I'm doing. So the affirmations are really, really necessary actually. Like, I need them, you know, I know that I'm walking in alignment with spirit, you know, like I know that that's, I know I'm on the right track, but it's always really, uh, heartening to have those reminders that like, okay, you are doing it. And people see it. Like, and they're inspired to like do their own version of this, you know,
Speaker 3 (00:03:09):
A hundred percent
Speaker 1 (00:03:10):
Yay. Yay.
Speaker 3 (00:03:12):
So yeah, let's get into that because I, and I hear you on affirmation. I, you know, I think we all need it, and especially doing the work that we do. Um, you know, we're talking about this, this whole podcast is centered in Louisiana, abortion funds work and the work of mutual aid and reproductive justice, and we need affirmations in this work. So
Speaker 1 (00:03:36):
Child, yes,
Speaker 3 (00:04:08):
I see you, you exist.
Speaker 1 (00:04:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:04:10):
That being at the end of the day, do you see me,
Speaker 1 (00:04:17):
Do you see me? I am present. I get, you know what's interesting is I get so used to that. So I just be waving to people sometimes. Like, when I'm not necessarily
Speaker 3 (00:04:54):
No,
Speaker 1 (00:04:54):
I,
Speaker 3 (00:04:55):
I feel you. And I think that there, there's a lot of stuff. I think about this a lot because you travel a lot. I travel a lot. I see from, from city to city, how people move and operate. And just coming back from New Orleans for the Black Party, I was, I think it was, it was so visceral this time, the way I couldn't go anywhere without someone being like, where are you from?
Speaker 1 (00:05:23):
Speaker 3 (00:05:25):
Like, can I get this printed at FedEx Skin Code?
Speaker 1 (00:05:27):
Speaker 3 (00:05:29):
You gotta tell me what your last name is. Oh, mal bro. I know some mal bros. Like
Speaker 1 (00:05:36):
Speaker 3 (00:05:41):
I love it too. Well, yes. Let's, let's dive into you. So tell, like for new folks, for people who are just kind of getting to know you or being exposed to you or hearing you for the first time, can you share a little bit about who you are? Like what's, what are the worlds you inhabit, I think is the question that came up for me when I thought about, like, how to ask you to describe yourself
Speaker 1 (00:06:06):
Yeah. I, you know, in thinking about, um, coming from the South, I was actually born in Japan. Um, and, but I was, but raised in Louisiana. Um, and I think Ali at first with like, I'm a, I'm always a child of the village, you know, that's how I understand myself is kind of from this childlike state, um, of inquiry. And that's how I like to move through the world. You know, I definitely parent myself and take care of the things that I need to, but that keeping, that, that, uh, perspective of child of the Village is really important to me cuz it gives me malleability. Um, and so with that, I am the lead singer of Sato. That's my band. And, um, I'm also the board chair for the Louisiana Abortion Fund, Pam po po p. And I also, I just started working with a united musicians and allied workers, uh, as their first staff person. So kind of helping shape, um, that organization as well. Um, and what else do I do? I garden a lot whenever I'm home. I'm a plant bay. Um, I'm a feral plant, bay
Speaker 3 (00:08:09):
That's so, I mean, so the world, like the worlds I see truly are like the worlds of like, music and also like workers' rights, even within music and advocacy and u the union of, of music, which is really dope. Uh, like the union organizing aspect of music, and also being a internationally acclaimed performer, singer, rockstar, lead singer of a dope band. Yeah. Thank you,
Speaker 1 (00:09:21):
Mm-hmm.
(00:10:38):
And I was like, we've been out here trying to stay alive,
(00:11:41):
So like what's, you know, what's one small way, you know, that a pretty major organization for the recording academy can, can live the values and create the world they want to see, like if we want to see more women and we wanna see more trans and non-binary folks, right? If we actually want this to represent the cultures and the people that are the culture bearers, literal, physical bears of all this music that we love, we need to create space for them and we need to give them resources without batting an eye. And this, this model of mutual aid and the way that we've structured it within a laugh is like, gave me the framework for saying, actually this is how you do this. And you don't ask a bunch of questions. Like, this is not charity. You see that there is like structurally within the world, these are the things that people are dealing with.
(00:12:38):
What can you do with your resources to help out and alleviate the burden? You're not gonna fix it. Cause I think that's where the problem is. People are like, let's fix it all. You can't fix it. What can you do with what you have? So move in alignment with values, right? But don't be out here trying to fix everything with one thing that you can do.
(00:13:25):
Cause I never actually got to see her and hang out whenever she's a New Orleans, cuz she has kids. She's got like, stuff to do, you know? Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (00:14:15):
Right. That is so radical too because, um, I think one thing that for me, like has been re like what laugh has taught me too is the power of mutual aid. Mm. Don't ask no questions. Just like people say they need it, they need it. And like, yes, lifting up mutual aid instead of charity as radical and thinking about it. What also inspires me about that is like, it's not waiting for someone else to pro, like, for the government to come around and realize that we have to provide people with childcare and child support and child services and, uh, parental leave and all that. Like, it's like, it's like, okay, we can advocate for that, but in the meantime, what I'm going through is give you some money. We ain't got all day
Speaker 1 (00:15:07):
We don't. And like, and also like we, when, you know, when people show you who they are, believe them. It's like we have evidence of, of how the government
Speaker 3 (00:15:57):
Damn. Are there rules? Are there repercussions? Let's talk, let's talk about, I do wanna get a little into, you know, how you grew up and like anything about growing up. I know you were born in Japan, but growing up in Louisiana that, uh, has shaped your perspective. And I hear that being one of it. Like the what are rules? Well, yeah, like
Speaker 1 (00:16:23):
That, you know, uh, so I, I grew up in, in Columbia, Louisiana. That's where I spent my childhood. And, um, and my early adolescence, hi little hummingbird. I know. I gotta refill that. I'm sorry. My bad. You're buzzing. Um, so I grew up in, you know, in Columbia, Louisiana, small, small village. Um, my mother, so my mother's from the Philippines met my father in Japan whenever he was there. Um, stationed in Yoka with the Navy, then we moved to Shreveport, uh, not Shreveport, Columbia, Louisiana. And so, uh, you know, first initially, like my, my first impression of the world was that there are just a lot of different people, you know? Cause I was on a naval base, so it was a very, I mean, very diverse group from what I remember. You know, I didn't, I didn't, you know, in my infancy, like, this is diverse, but I was like, people look different and they all families just kind of are, you know?
(00:17:28):
Um, and then coming to Columbia, um, you know, seeing my mom manage, you know, being an immigrant, moving to rural Louisiana, raising three black children, you know, as a, as a Filipino woman. Um, and how she was fiercely protective and, you know, in, in ways and vigilance, the vigilance that she had definitely shaped what I think of when it comes to reproductive justice. Like what I'm, how I'm gonna take care of, of these children. And also like, nurture them. Um, and seeing the relationships that she had, like with my grandma and my great grandma, you know, um, was really, was really beautiful because, you know, we were just, there wasn't like a, we were able to find, I think between their cultures, they were able to find the points where like black culture and Filipino culture like intersect and mirror each other, which is, there's a lot of similarities, you know,
(00:18:37):
So from that point, I was like, okay, just find the points of where, where you can find commonality and then you figure it out from there. You know? Um, when, when people are coming from different places, like what's the one thing we can like meet on? Um, but, you know, my mother loved to garden, loved gardening. My great grandma has had a massive, massive backyard. And I just remember growing up with like, big trees and like pecan trees and greens and um, you know, we would every summer would be, uh, spent playing in the, in the yard. You know, don't come inside unless you wanna show pea and watch the, as the world turns, you know,
(00:19:25):
Yeah. And, and I remember I had this distinct memory of like, us shelling a bunch of peas and then like a neighbor coming with some like, fish, you know, like some white perch and like trading, uh, food in that way. Um, and I, I feel like that's really my model for like, this is what mutual aid looks like. Here's like, here's what I got and here's what you have. And meeting each other with dignity, right? And like, respect and knowing that we depend on each other, you know what I mean? So like, my country as is like, oh yeah, this is great. We just feed each other and, uh, and take care of each other, you know? And then moving from, we, we, we left Shreveport whenever I was going to high school. So I started high school in, in, um, Shreveport. And it was a little bit of a shift going from like super rural, you know, to more of a city mm-hmm.
(00:20:24):
(00:21:26):
You know, my father worked with this nonprofit, um, that, uh, had a, a system of halfway houses that provided help for folks. Again, like without question, you know, um, as judge, like there, no, nobody's judgment free. You know what I mean? Like, you always got a little judgment mm-hmm.
(00:22:40):
Mm-hmm.
(00:23:35):
So that was like my introduction to like d i y scenes and like punk music. Um, and that's actually how I met my band members. Oh wow. In high school. Yeah. Yeah. And, and my senior year of high school going into college, wow. That was a wild time to
(00:24:25):
Like yeah, part of that is like the fearlessness that comes with your adolescence, but part of that is like, I know this ragtag group of people, if something happens, like they got your back, they got my back. You know, like, so that's, so that's how I met my band members. And in college we had a cup, a cover band cuz like, that's just the best way to make money as a band. And, um, there was, you know, I don't quite know what it looks like now and especially in entry where there are a lot of casinos and stuff. So that's where we get most of our money. And that's how I paid for like my books and like fed myself. And one day we were asked to perform at a Christmas party at Hope Medical Group because the art director was friends with the owner of Hope and the art director let me put on, um, happenings these like experimental multimedia events on campus.
(00:25:27):
And was like, she has a band, maybe she'll perform. And so that's actually how I got introduced to working in abortion care. So we played at this Christmas party for Hope Medical Group. And afterward I was hanging out with Robin Rothrock, the late owner and Kathleen, um, and Cefi. Uh, and I was like, well, what do y'all do here? What happens here? And she was like, we're war in abortion clinic. You know, like hope help that you would've known that before we got here
(00:27:00):
And it was great cuz I didn't have a car at the time and the clinic was right across the street from the college so I could, you know, get off from class and go pick up some shifts, um, as a patient advocate. And so that's where my journey began in abortion care is actually specifically tied to, to music. Um, so that kind of connects the dots.
Speaker 3 (00:27:26):
That's
Speaker 1 (00:27:40):
Speaker 3 (00:27:41):
It's all the same
Speaker 1 (00:27:44):
The same structure, the same people, people. And it's just people are, you
Speaker 3 (00:27:49):
Know, people being people. There's something about what you said too that were, that took me back to my original thoughts about abortion and like what I was thinking. Cuz like in that timeline I was like placing myself or just like right. Kind of being like, okay, you took me through your childhood. And I was like relating in some ways. And I remember thinking, cuz I, I grew up in a rural town too mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (00:28:13):
Speaker 3 (00:28:14):
And I, I always tell people like I've been, my friends have been getting pregnant since I was 13. Like, I saw people, you know, getting pregnant around me since I was 13 and they would teach abstinence only education and I'd be like, it's not working. And even
Speaker 1 (00:29:25):
Make it make sense.
Speaker 3 (00:29:28):
And this is like 13 year old me. I'm like, seems like this, you know, this teenage pregnancy prevented and people would've gave out information, resources, or at least some of these teenage pregnancies could have been prevented with
Speaker 1 (00:29:42):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (00:29:43):
Resources.
Speaker 1 (00:29:47):
Yeah. It's like, you know what's funny is so gr growing up within my family, the way that I was always taught about sex is like, I mean, we're actually from a really young age, my mom was very adamant about us using like correct anatomical language. It was just like, this is your vagina, you know, these are your breasts. It's not like any other type of name for it. And like, I understood like what sex looked like, like from an encyclopedia, it was very straightforward. Like, this is what happens and this is what a pregnancy looks like. Um, so the way that I was presented information about sex, you know, from just a purely factual level was like, this is what it is. And then I had the information of, you know, the messaging of, well, someone should respect your body and it, and you should be in charge of how you feel.
(00:30:41):
You know, like, someone should make you feel good. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (00:32:20):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (00:32:22):
She didn't necessarily have the tools to explain to me what to expect. And neither did the doctor. I mean, this is my experience in when I was working at Hope, like people don't explain how the birth control could affect you. They just gaslight your ass and they're just like, well, do you wanna get pregnant? Or, and I'm like, uh, I wanna feel my body and I wanna feel, I wanna at least have an understanding of what could happen. You know? Um, cuz it wasn't necessarily explained to me. Like I wouldn't have a period and like what all that means.
(00:32:56):
So yeah, being able to not only explain the contraception, but like sit with the complicated history of contraception, right? Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (00:33:41):
100%. And I think we're getting into the, like the crux of what I'm so excited to talk about you with you, which is reproductive justice. Yeah. And that as a framework,
Speaker 2 (00:33:58):
We're gonna take a break for a moment for two short messages, but I promise we'll be right back. End the south and need an abortion. Give laugh. A call at eight four four four four abort. That's 8 4 4 4 4 2 2 6 7 8. Laugh provides compassionate affirming support that honors and affirms the dignity of people seeking abortion care. This podcast is produced by Joy Channel. What is Joy Channel? A collection of creatives and change makers that work with organizations and communities towards liberation. We do that by creating content like this podcast or supporting organizations hands-on with training, consulting experiences and parties. You like to grow parties To find out more, visit us@joychannel.org.
Speaker 3 (00:34:53):
Um, so could you just, what I would love to hear your description or your definition of reproductive justice.
Speaker 1 (00:35:02):
Man, it's, so every time I try to do my own take on it, I'm like, but it's so good the way it's
Speaker 3 (00:35:08):
Well, whatever. Yeah,
Speaker 1 (00:35:10):
I know. I'm like, like the, the human right to parents, not parents, uh, and have families in safe and sustainable environments. It's like, God is so perfect. Like it's everything you need. Uh, do you know, I'd say, uh, a riff on that would be like, do what you wanna, you know, like, do what you wanna
Speaker 3 (00:35:35):
Speaker 1 (00:35:36):
On the counter. Uh, which is actually, it's funny is whenever I went to the bookstore, uh, whenever during the block party, miss uh, miss Jen sang that at me when I came in the door and I was obviously like a little distressed from, you know, just events be that way sometimes. And she was like, do what Joanna? No. And I was like, yes, miss Jen, actually, that's it. That's it, right? Like, I get to self determine, I get to do what I want. Um, do what you wanna down on the corner. Like I, I do that and I'm with my people, you know? So it's very community centric and this is what, even before I had, I remember when I found out about the term reproductive justice and this was after, oh lord, this was, I didn't hear about the term reproductive justice until like, was it 20 19, 20 18 after I'd been doing it for almost two 10 years. Right. Since 2008.
(00:36:46):
Okay. Um, I remember being a little pissed cuz I found out from a white woman, and I was like, how did the fuck you know about this? No one told me, you know, after I've been working at a clinic,
(00:37:43):
It's also, I think of it as spell casting, right? Because the language itself is poetry is condensed and is a promise, and that's what a spell is, right? It's like intention with, um, you know, awareness of conditions and how you wanna shape them and like visioning for the future. Um, so I like to, to be able to like weave between my understandings of like how we shape the world. And part of that is magic. Like, you know, uh, we are magical creatures.
Speaker 3 (00:38:51):
Well
Speaker 1 (00:38:53):
Well
Speaker 3 (00:38:54):
Fake on it then. I, what I love about that is like, you're just like, it's
Speaker 1 (00:39:10):
But now though,
Speaker 3 (00:39:11):
Playing these games though, I'm, I'm about it. I'm not, it's not gonna be like for, for somebody grandkids. I'm talking about for me,
Speaker 1 (00:39:18):
For me now in real time. And that's what we've been doing with Laugh. I'm like, okay, we're dealing with obviously like scary times, you know, uh, in the world. And also like, what can we do within our community? How can we make sure our people are taken care of, right? And that we're not replicating the harms that we're here to try to alleviate. And like, that's what it looks like in real time. It's not some far away idea. Like, whenever we have the photo shoot, you know, and Rose had her kid maybe just running around touching stuff, you know, I need this and being so adorable and chastity, I had our child there and they were able to like, be their full selves, like to be mothers also, to be irritated with their children, also to be like glamorous and creative. You know? That's what reproductive justice is. It is happening in real time. It is not a far away idea because we are cultivating these safe and sustainable environments in as much as we can control. Right? And like, that's the,
Speaker 3 (00:40:29):
Can you talk a little bit more about that? Because I think coming, coming into laugh, what I very quickly, what I was like, oh, this makes so much sense, but I was like, huh, I don't think I've seen this before, was like, I don't think I understood as someone who, you know, I might have said the phrase reproductive rights before. Um, I think I knew I, I've heard of Sister song, like, I think I was like kind of familiar, but I think I didn't quite understand how different the vibe is between a abortion rights and abortion, like advocacy and folks are just like abortion and abortion and the reproductive justice, like black led black, you know, women centered movement. I don't think I, I think all of those things were kind of the same to me before. And then once I got connected to life, I was like, whoa. As a whole, it feels very different to me, to me. But I'm curious to you, like, how do you see those two frameworks either, you know, being connected or, uh, being similar or different, or how do you, it just, especially with you being have been doing like a abortion work for over 15 years, like, how do you see those iterations in the field kind of showing up in different ways? Hmm.
Speaker 1 (00:42:01):
I, you know, I would say it first shows up in how people treat each other. You know, like, there's just a very different, it's a different vibe, you know? Um, like, I feel like because we have reproductive justice as a container, as like a place to hold us, like we know that we're held here, right? And so I'm not about to go tit for tat on things with people, you know what I mean? We're in the same space, you know, like if there, there's not an anxiety around conflict, you know? Hmm. If there is a disagreement or if there is something that's just not quite sitting right with your spirit, you know, you can speak on it and we can work it out because we're held within this container, right. Where're, you know, it's wild. As I was watching a Lovecraft country, um, which I just love, oh my God, such a great series. And the last episode when they're in the, uh, this, this holding place that, um, what was the, the mother's name had created for, for her family to be safe from the, um, the white witches.
Speaker 3 (00:43:15):
I can see her face, but I'm forgetting her name.
Speaker 1 (00:43:17):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (00:43:18):
Like,
Speaker 1 (00:43:20):
Uh, oh, I don't, it's on the tip of my tongue. Um, but you know, she's talking about like this, this space that she's created, this like fire, you know, how she was able to shape her rage and her passions, you know, as a holder. And that's the way that I think about reproductive justice. It is like a cleansing fire, right? And it, and, and this way that like you do, I have to deal with myself. You know, like
(00:44:17):
It's, it don't be the same way in a lot of white feminist spaces. It's not, you know, um, it doesn't feel, it doesn't feel as good, right? Like, it just doesn't, there's what I experienced was before, you know, a lot of tension, a lot of unspoken stuff, a lot of like understood, but no knowing, you know what I mean? Like, oh, just, this is just the way that it was, and this is just why we suffer. And burnout was not seen as like something to be avoided, but something that just like was the state of things, you know? And, um, it just, yeah, there, there's a sense of, how do I put this? And this is all happening in real time, right? Like, I we're figuring it out because we have this container, you know, I do think of this as like an experimental space in some ways.
(00:45:21):
You know? Like, we get to try this and maybe that didn't work. Maybe we get to try something else. There's play here. Um, there's creativity, right? And I think that's what, you know, invigorates me and keeps and sustains me, you know, is that I do get to be creative, um, as, um, as a leader and also as a community member, as a child of the village. Mm-hmm.
(00:46:22):
Like people, this is the way things have been, but like, don't interrogate why things are that way. Mm, mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (00:48:29):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (00:48:29):
Speaker 3 (00:49:16):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (00:49:18):
Um, I so want a laugh t-shirt with an alligator, but that would be so cheesy, you know-it-alls would buy it.
Speaker 3 (00:49:41):
She, I she liked Live Live Laugh Liberate, which
Speaker 1 (00:49:47):
I love it. It was,
Speaker 3 (00:49:49):
It's so corny, but so dope. I love that.
Speaker 1 (00:49:52):
It's so cute.
Speaker 3 (00:49:53):
It's so cute. You know, part of part of the impetus of this podcast is reflecting on two things. One, how the South has the answers, right? Yes. Truly. And elevating the voices of black leaders and reproductive justice, which is you, um, you, and also like reflecting on, it's been almost a year since the cos decision. Um, and I, I think it's interesting to, I, I would love to know for you, what has shifted
Speaker 1 (00:50:29):
Right
Speaker 3 (00:50:29):
In your time and how have you been living with that both as, both personally and as a leader for Laugh, Louisiana Abortion Fund.
Speaker 1 (00:50:38):
Mm hmm. So when, when Roha, my first, I got the news whenever I was driving through Mississippi, I, I think I was on my way home from who knows what child, I dunno what I was doing, um,
(00:52:01):
Like there was already structures set up for how we would respond to this, how we would build in rest, right? How we would tend to ourselves internally. Um, if when, you know, it, it, it happened, and to be fair, like a lot of reproductive justice leaders had been saying like, they're coming for row, y'all, they're coming for row. Um, you know, not as, not as prophecy, but it's a, this is the thing, like a lot of people say like, Octavia Butler's prophetic, a lot of people say like, black women are prophetic, black folks, be prophetic. Like, we're just looking at the conditions and saying A plus B, equal C, this is probably what the outcome is, you know, and fuck around, find out. You know what I mean? Like, and so like, what do we do to stop that? Right? And instead of a lot of people's response to b to that, um, to that information or to that, uh, uh, assessment is like gaslighting the person that said it instead of saying like, okay, actually let's see what you're talking about.
(00:53:10):
Right? So anyway, on the river, I was like, processing all this. And my third thought was, I just, I don't wanna feel the weight of my body, you know? Um, and so I got like, I think I just, we don't have a pool here, so I booked a hotel in Memphis and I was like, okay, me and two of my best friends were just gonna go and have a date and just sit in the pool and just float, you know? Um, and there's something in all of these ways, the water has carried me and held me, you know what I mean? Um, and I'm not quite, I haven't quite put it all together yet, but there's something there. You know, I think there's some deep ancestral knowledge about how the water will carry us. We will be carried, you know? Um, and so I keep coming back to that inter ritual as a way to deal with the violence, uh, that we're, that we're seeing.
(00:54:12):
Um, and so in terms of things that have shifted for me personally, like I, I have to temper, I have to really tap into leading with compassion. Cuz when a lot of people who have not been aware of the landscape are now, oh, suddenly aware, it's like whenever, you know, the, when people are aware of, uh, the violence that we experience, right? Mm-hmm.
(00:55:11):
I have to remember that I have to lead with compassion, even though other people's willful ignorance is now being removed. You know, that's, that's the tricky part. That's, I think that's what shifted for me is like, and I'm witnessing other people, witnessing the violence of people have already been experienced and have to show up with compassion. You know? That's hard. Who babe
(00:56:18):
Like, because it is so much more important right now. Um, you know, within the organization we've kind of already, you know, we have been listening to, to what reproductive justice leaders have said before. Right? And so structurally we were like being a, we were able to adapt and pivot, um, because we had listened to the, to the reckoning, you know? Um, so, you know, in terms of, in material terms, yes, we need more money, right? Because it, people's abortions are costing more money because they have to spend more money to leave the state, um, on paper. That's facts. Facts is facts. Um, there is a dread, right? There is a dread in your belly, in my belly, you know, like, of knowing who's being harmed by this and knowing that we won't see the, the full repercussions for this for decades. You know, we won't fully understand it until it's like, whoa, you know?
(00:57:32):
Um, we're already seeing, you know, higher maternal and infant mortality rates, um, in Louisiana, and it's terrifying, right? And in the face of that, it is even more important that we make, that we are in tight communities with the birthing folks, right? That we are in tight community with, um, with our queer and trans like trans and non-binary and queer led groups. Like, it is more important that we are able to tap into each other and to move, you know, Adrian Marie Brown talks about this like, be like water, right? Like, we can shift and we can adapt, we can, um, we can quickly communicate danger and be able to move ourselves around it and within that structure, right? Be able to build new realities. Um, and that's really heartening for me. Um, it, yeah, getting more press requests and like having to respond to which, you know, press requests can be a loaded thing because a lot of people wanna project their story instead of listening, you know, which is why, you know, like, and you know, people project like the horrors that are happening instead of like, actually listen to our victories. Actually listen, you know, as I keep coming back to Lucille Clifton, like, come celebrate with me every day if something has tried to kill me and has failed. You know, like we get to stand in our victories and, and we get to hold them. And, um, I'm just fiercely protective of that in ways that I wasn't before Roe, you know?
Speaker 3 (00:59:29):
Yeah. Aw,
Speaker 1 (01:00:05):
Period.
Speaker 3 (01:00:07):
Seemed like we all just trying to figure out how to get there.
Speaker 1 (01:00:10):
Speaker 3 (01:00:12):
Alright, you're an expert. Go ahead. Um, but I, I, I really wanna lift up the wisdom of the south and, and what are your thoughts about that? About like, why it's important to listen to the voices of people in the south
Speaker 1 (01:00:30):
One? We sound good, you know,
Speaker 3 (01:00:36):
First of all, we,
Speaker 1 (01:00:39):
Yeah, there's, mm, there is something to the voice, right? There is something to how the sound moves in our body different, you know what I mean? Mm-hmm.
(01:02:04):
I just do it. You know, like, that's like
Speaker 3 (01:03:43):
It's scary.
Speaker 1 (01:03:44):
It'd be very, very scary here. Uh, you know, we're, we're alive and we're making beautiful things. Why would you not wanna come listen to the people that are alive and making beautiful things?
Speaker 3 (01:04:08):
Well, lemme see what these people gotta say
Speaker 1 (01:04:11):
Speaker 3 (01:04:15):
Figured out how to have a good time, so maybe I should just tap into that, you know?
Speaker 1 (01:04:19):
Yeah, right. Instead of this kind of, I'm the expert, like we are all experts in our own survival, you know, that I can say with full confidence, everyone that I know, even people I don't agree with, even people that, you know, we might be button heads like they are experts in their own survival here. Mm.
(01:04:41):
You know, and how can we learn from each other and how can we adapt and grow together here, you know? So even, you know, even I was actually just talking with some friends about their family, um, and how yeah, a lot of like progressive white folks here are really struggling with their ties to their families, um, that are, you know, flirting with fascism, um, and how to hold that, you know? Um, uh, and I don't have the answer for that. And I also know that like, there are conditions where even, yeah, how do I put this?
(01:05:38):
It's just a, it's a very paradoxical place, right? Like on one hand I can drive down the road and like I'm seeing con affect Confederate flag and I'm like, okay, that's a signal. I don't go there like
Speaker 3 (01:06:33):
I like that. Within that curiosity is the answer.
Speaker 1 (01:06:37):
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Just the other day I was, uh, going to see my, I have a post office, post office box here cause I don't have an address,
(01:07:45):
And like the process isn't that simple, you know, to become a citizen here and it's not fair. And she was like, huh, well thank you for explaining that to me. You know, because she had had a conversation with this woman and the woman was like, kind of really rattling off and like, this is, this is, this is that. And she's like, I didn't understand what she was saying. She was talking too fast, you know, and she was like very, um, wound up. And it was hard for me to receive that. Right. And because she was able to approach me with curiosity and because I was able to approach her with curiosity too, she was able to have a shift in her understanding. Um, like, wow, that's cool.
Speaker 3 (01:08:29):
Yeah. I love that. Like, just like that ability to be open and just connect with someone. Let me talk to you
Speaker 1 (01:08:41):
Like, I dunno, girl, like
Speaker 3 (01:08:47):
That makes me think, and this is my last like PO podcast question, but yes, it makes me think about the block party. I just would love like your kind of insight on like, why do you think, why do you think it was important for Laugh to have a block party? Like that is kind of unique in itself, right? Like a reproductive justice Yeah. By you Black Buy you block party. Like what?
Speaker 1 (01:09:17):
Uh, I, you know what? I love Tyler so much. Um, and so much of the block party, like, I think embodied their experience, which in turn embodied so many of our shared experiences collectively. Um, but actually the idea was brought up at a board meeting and they were like, what if we had a block party? And this is, you know, this, well, this is after a meeting and we were having a cocktail. And I was like, sure,
(01:10:16):
You know, like making it a family affair was very important because we are a reproductive justice organization, so people can bring their kids and, you know, they can get a bite and do what they need to do. And also like, pick up some emergency contraception, like find out about, uh, you know, the doula services that are available through Birthmark. Um, you know, connect with, with reject, connect with L C R F. Um, and for those listening, reject is Reproductive Justice Action Coalition. They're an amazing group. And Louisiana Coalition of Reproductive Freedoms is LCR F and Birthmark. Uh, it's an amazing collective black led doula collective in New Orleans. Um, okay. Sorry. The hummingbirds are tripping.
(01:11:43):
And we in that moment created a space where like, you know, black elders could come up and feel comfortable and like be tended to and taken care of folks from like all facets of the L G L G B T Q I A family could come and feel safe and protected kids, people's kids could run around. There was one point when I remember just like, you know, seeing one board member and seeing their child run this way. And like I knew at any point in time there were like four sets of eyes on this child. Mm-hmm.
(01:12:29):
Send it to, you know, uh, all her needs send it to, and being able to live the vision that we see in real time is proof that yes, within our lifetime this is possible. You know? And, and it's complicated, right? Because events are crazy. Like there's all, there's, even with everything going the right way, you know, there's always room for improvement. There's always ways that we can expand and, and make things better. So seeing like, not only can we achieve what, from an outsider's perspective might seem impossible, we're gonna do it. Well, it's going to be fun and we'll be able to improve it. You know, like, come on, like that sounds great,
Speaker 3 (01:13:20):
Speaker 1 (01:13:25):
Oh my God. Right?
Speaker 3 (01:13:27):
Or maybe it happened while I was running around, but I was like, oh my God, that would've been so amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:13:32):
Oh my God. Oh wait, I have a video of you and Camille dancing. I need to send it to you. I need, it was so, I was like, oh, and this is the bliss that I can experience in this life. Like, uh, just seeing yeah, people, people feeling free and embodying that freedom, you know? Um, just, just incredible work. There's, uh, mama Jen from the bookstore came over and like wrote us a check for a, you know, for a donation. There was such power in that moment. There was such power in that moment to be blessed by this leader of the community. Um, and she said something, she said like, those people that were used to protest at the clinic and all these people that are trying to take away our rights, I just wanna kick their ass. You know? That's exactly what she said. I just wanna whoop their ass. And I was like, me too girl.
(01:14:31):
And she handed over that check and I was like, this is actually how you whoop their ass. Like, this is how you show them. Like, we put our resources together and like this, this donation will not only take care of the people that we're helping but take care of us as we're helping these people. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (01:15:13):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (01:15:13):
Speaker 3 (01:15:18):
Yes. Like truly mutual aid.
Speaker 1 (01:15:22):
Truly. And, and the way that that Mama Jen came over and she was like, and this, and I know y'all got this. Like, this is my blessing, this is my prayer, this is my, you know, this is my way of pushing back. Um, and that is the beauty of mutual aid is that not only are we helping people, but the folks that are able to show up are able to show up with whatever they have and it is put to good use and done so with dignity and, and mutual respect. You know? That's the difference. I love that moment. I wanna kick the ass. I was like, yes, child, me too. If I ever see certain folks in these streets, I ain't the last boy. Okay. Like
Speaker 3 (01:16:12):
Speaker 1 (01:16:12):
Period.
Speaker 3 (01:16:14):
Yes. Yes. Uh, oh my god. Well this has been so fulfilling to my soul just to talk to me
Speaker 1 (01:16:21):
Too
Speaker 3 (01:16:22):
And those birds, because those birds have stuff to say to,
Speaker 1 (01:16:26):
You're like, yay. Aren't they funny?
Speaker 3 (01:16:29):
They're so funny. They're like, I agree
Speaker 1 (01:16:33):
I agree. I agree. Those little hummingbirds, they'll zip, they'll zip up and they'll be like, like over here. They're little playful things. Oh,
Speaker 2 (01:16:43):
Special thanks to our amazing guests, AJ Haynes. This has been, the South has the answers. A Joy channel production for Louisiana Abortion Fund to donate to Louisiana Abortion Fund. Hit up Louisiana abortion fund.org. Thank you to Red Cypress Consulting for Visuals and especially Camille Moran for all your support. I'm your host and executive producer, Luna Malborough, the Chief five Officer of Joy Channel. Can't let you go without giving another special thanks to the sero tones for this show's groovy theme song. Get Free. I'll let you listen to that