A Statement by Brenda V. Castillo, President & CEO, National Hispanic Media Coalition
Last night millions of Americans shuddered as the leaked draft of a majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, revealed that the Supreme Court of the United States would break precedent by engaging in a partisan assault on women’s rights, overturning Roe v. Wade. Over 20 states have legislation in place that would severely restrict or completely ban a woman’s right to choose with no exceptions for rape or incest, fundamentally changing the lives of 80 million women. In Texas, 42% of pregnant women and 36% of those seeking access to abortion are Latinx. The Texas Policy Evaluation Project even found that the state’s abortion policy would prevent 8 in 10 women from accessing their federal rights.
This is not just a women’s rights issue, it’s also a human rights issue and an aggravated assault on democracy. As conservative media outlets and the GOP decry leaked judicial content, NHMC is steadfast in its commitment to the protection of women, People of Color, People of the Global Majority, and all other marginalized people. Now, more than ever, it’s important for women of color to be equitably represented in mainstream media, especially as reporting increasingly addresses issues that disproportionately affect our communities.
Justice Alito claims that “far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division.” On the contrary – allowing a conservative majority in a nonpartisan court to overturn a decades-long decision would not only inflame debate and deepen division, it would also tarnish our democratic principles and permit future human rights violations. This afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced an impending floor vote to codify Roe v. Wade into law. NHMC urges a swift vote and, if necessary, demands the abolition of the filibuster to secure individual freedoms. We vow to hold SCOTUS and Congress accountable for their momentous decisions in the days and weeks to come.
Yours in the Movement,
Brenda Victoria Castillo
President & CEO
National Hispanic Media Coalition
