As a member of the Dignity & Wellness for Georgia Families Coalition, SPARK would like to invite you to join us for our first committee hearing of HB 653, The Giving Birth in Safety and Dignity Bill, which would end the practice of restraining incarcerated women during childbirth.

On February 7th, 2:00pm at the Georgia Capitol’s Coverdell Building, witness history in the making here in Georgia as women who have experienced the cruel practice of restrained childbirth get their day of justice! YOU have the opportunity to change the lives of women and children by showing up and showing support for the bill and the folks willing to take a stand to ensure its passing.

Join us in the fight for dignity and wellness for all Georgia families!

Here are the ways you can support:

1. Show up on Feb. 7th! We don’t have a room number yet, and are asking that folks meet us on the first floor of the Coverdell Building in the lobby.
2. Share on Facebook and Twitter! We will be sending out action alerts on Friday and Monday, so spread the word!
3. Bring your crew or send them along in your place! Numbers matter and we want to fill the meeting space with as much of our community as possible.

The Coverdell Building is located at 18 Capitol Square (Mitchell Street). You will need government-issued ID to get in. Paid parking is available nearby. The closest MARTA station is Georgia State Station.

You can learn more about the Dignity and Wellness for Georgia Families Coalition by  clicking here.

You have been warmly invited to the 8th Annual No Show Tea Party, your personal tea party with a liberatory purpose for SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW!

We know that 2011 has been one incredible year – filled with many obstacles along with some amazing victories demonstrating the exciting potential for the justice we need. Throughout all of these amazing events, there has been one constant . . . YOU!

So we invite you to take time out for yourself to renew your spirit and commitment to reproductive justice and reflect on what makes our movement resilient and how we can be even stronger in 2012!

We know that there are many great organizations to give to this year, and we ask that you to make a generous donation or become a monthly sustainer to support the necessary work for reproductive justice for all communities in Georgia and the South. Your contributions have already supported some of our most important work, such as:

1. In February 2011, the Speak Justice Take Action Program published “Giving Birth Behind Bars: A Guide to Achieving Reproductive Justice for Incarcerated Women”, a powerful analysis of gender and the prison industrial complex that evaluates each Georgia county’s restraint practices, provides popular education tools and resources that can be replicated in other campaigns and states, and finally brings the voices and experiences of medical providers and formerly incarcerated women together to demand an end to this practice;
2. On April 14, 2011, our anti-shackling bill, HB 653, was introduced and will be reviewed during the 2012 legislative session. This is the first pro reproductive justice bill introduced in Georgia in 4 years;
3. Throughout the year, youth involved in our Fierce Youth Reclaiming & Empowering Program have organized seven community film screenings and facilitation trainings throughout Atlanta bringing in 75 new youth members and have developed informative curriculum to distribute with our three short films discussing bullying and harassment, coming out, sex addiction, and navigating intimate relationships. The complete package – films and curriculum – will be available in January 2012;
4. In July 2011, we expanded our work into highlighting the health disparities in trans* and gender non-conforming communities and co-sponsored a member-led project with the ACLU of Georgia to develop a Legal Name Change Guide for trans* people and hosted 2 community name change clinics; and
5. From December 16th to 19th, we held our 2nd Annual Media Camp, IGNITE, which was expanded to include participants from the Southern region traveling to Atlanta from Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. These amazing, fierce queer and trans youth of color created some stunning portraits and photos focused around the subject of intimacy. We can’t wait to share them with you in 2012!

We’re dedicated to seeing this work out until the end and thank you for your time, your spirit, your effort, and above all else . . your commitment to our vision!