Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlanta VoiceFree & Just hosted a mural unveiling with local artist Danae Antoine in Decatur as part of its “Artists for Abortion Access” event series. Free & Just partnered with local artists, advocates, and leaders in communities across the country who are standing up to attacks on abortion access and reproductive freedom.The mural is located at 113 E Court Square in Decatur.From concerts featuring local musicians, to art markets where local creatives can sell their goods, “Artists for Abortion Access” spotlights community, cultural leaders, and creates space for real people impacted by abortion bans and ongoing attacks on reproductive freedom to share their stories. “Artists for Abortion Access” comes as attacks on all types of reproductive health care, including abortion care, IVF treatment, and birth control, continue to escalate nationwide.The unveiling featured a mural by Antoine honoring Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, two Georgia women who lost their lives because of the state’s inhumane abortion ban.In September, ProPublica reported on the preventable deaths of the two mothers.Details included in reports from Georgia’s maternal mortality review committee, which investigates pregnancy-related deaths in the state, confirmed both women’s deaths were preventable, and the result of limited access to prompt medical care. In Georgia, abortion is banned after 6 weeks.As a Black, queer, non-binary individual, Antoine said their work and identity is “inherently political.”“Through the practice of making my own paintings, I have been exploring this on my own and I knew this was crucial to do and how heavy a subject this is,” Antoine said. “I wanted to approach this with a sense of joy and a sense of nuance, which holds the heaviness and potential lightness of a future together.”Antoine also thanked Free & Just and Living Walls for giving them the incredible and sensitive opportunity to talk about something that’s passionate to them.“This isn’t only about women, but anyone who is touched by reproductive care, which is everybody,” Antoine said. “I think a common thread in my work is community, extending empathy, and giving a new perspective to those who’re usually not seen in an overly complex way.Additionally, Antoine said when they approached the concept, they wanted to specifically focus on community.“Being Gen Z, family has a new definition and it’s more about who is around you and not just about blood,” Antoine said. “I think people who have held me up in Atlanta, all of my friends are here, and they are people instrumental, not only in my life, but other people’s lives to extend empathy.”Also, Antoine said Living Walls approached them to create the mural and took nine days to put it all together. The mural features a diverse group of people remembering the memory of Thurman and Miller.Furthermore, Antoine said when people view her mural, she wants people to have empathy towards people who may not look like them.“I think the general premise of this entire mural is having this motley of people who don’t look like each other, who are not from the same family, to say we do have this common thread of being human and we need to ensure we’re holding onto that,” she said.Staci Fox, former CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast, said “We didn’t have to be here”, and she will never forget fighting the Georgia abortion ban in 2019 and when Governor Kemp signed the bill into law“The doctors across Georgia said they didn’t want this law, the medical students, nurses, the business community, and various other communities didn’t want this law. The capitol was filled with protesters every day,” she said.She also said they aren’t going to be silent and are not going back. Fox also said Georgia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, particularly in women of color.“Black women who want to be pregnant are already dying at three times the rate of their white sisters in this state. Six weeks is not enough time to even know you are pregnant,” she said. “This is an all-out abortion ban, let’s be honest and this is not what Georgians want, and Georgians are going to have something to say when they go to the ballot box, hopefully this week or next week or certainly by Nov. 5.”Fox further says these issues should be decided between patients and their physicians, not politicians, and someday, “we’re going to stop playing politics with people’s bodies”.Dr. Juhi Varshney, emergency medicine physician, said the laws in Georgia do make it harder to do their job.“Abortion bans don’t just disrupt abortion care, all these things are so interconnected, they change how we treat miscarriages, how we treat ectopic pregnancies, and devastating pregnancy complications,” Varshney said. These laws have sowed fear and confusion, and they have constructed barriers and they’ve limited choices.”Varshney also says women are forced to seek care out-of-state or by telehealth, instead of sitting down with Georgia doctors who want to treat them. She also says these laws target young, healthy women and she sees the fallout in the emergency department when they come in with complications.“We knew the dark side of these restrictions, and we were afraid of who we would lose in the process,” she said. “Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller deserved so much better. They had medical conditions that we knew how to treat. They deserve options, choices, and access to prompt healthcare.”The post “Our Voices, Our Future, Our Choice:” Free & Just unveils mural honoring Amber Nicole Thurman, Candi Miller appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.