New Beginnings: Navigating Change in Post-Roe America by Makenzie Sanders
Following Dobbs v. Jackson, it was clear that change everywhere was imminent. The overturning of Roe v. Wade’s left millions of Americans shocked and hurt. It was a change that we saw coming, but it was a change that we had ultimately hoped would not come true. Sometimes, when things are out of our hands, we feel the need to gain back a little of our control. For the Louisiana Abortion Fund (LAAF), the new state of abortion politics and reproductive justice prompted a rebrand, including a more geographically inclusive name change. Formerly known as the New Orleans Abortion Fund, LAAF has always vowed to provide support for residents of the Gulf South to transcend financial and geographic barriers that might prevent them from accessing equitable abortion care. Their mission has not changed, the only thing that has, is their name.
Change can be difficult, and so can creation. During my spring term with LAAF, I aimed to prioritize new beginnings. While I had the honor of creating the Meet The Board series for LAAF’s main socials, my position centers on content creation for the Louisiana Abortion Fund Youth Action Instagram page. On this page, I have continued to post content centering on mindfulness, uplifting various reproductive justice organizations, and creating informative infographics. While I had hoped to have the LAAF mini-podcast series up and running, things changed. However, this change has only made room to create a production better than I had imagined.
Moving forward, I plan to continue to follow the Louisiana Abortion Fund initiatives to continue to foster community. Throughout the summer, I hope to continue to diversify the content posted on LAAF’s socials. Not only do I hope to drop LAAF YA’s mini-podcast series, I also hope to curate content that is rooted in reproductive justice and centers historically marginalized communities. With a new name and a new term, I am excited to explore all the new possibilities ahead of me.