Huq Reading and Panel Discussion
November 16th, 12 – 2 pm
What role does art play in the fight for reproductive justice? Please join guest curator Ashima Yadava in conversation with community partners Becca Nall (Ineedana.com), Zakia Afrin (Maitri) and Daisy Prado (Access Reproductive Justice) as they share their insights and experiences in working to improve abortion access and discuss the barriers to reproductive justice.
The panel discussion will open with a Reading by poet Aracelis Girmay. We look forward to creating a safe-space for you to share your stories and come together in community.
Speaker Bios:
Aracelis Girmay is a poet and professor of English at Stanford University. She is the author of three poetry collections – the black maria (BOA, 2016), Kingdom Animalia (BOA, 2011), and Teeth (Curbstone, 2007). Girmay is the editor of So We Can Know: Writers of Color on Pregnancy, Loss, Abortion, and Birth (2023)
Becca Nall (she/her) is the founder and designer of ineedana.com, the most comprehensive and updated resource for people who need abortions in the US. As a reaction to her own frustrating experience of navigating the internet to get an abortion in Texas, Becca started building ineedana.com as an independent passion project in 2016. It has now served more than 1.2 million unique users. On the technical side, she has more than a decade of experience designing and building digital tools at places like Khan Academy and Netflix.
Daisy Prado is the Development and Communications Manager at ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE, California's statewide abortion fund. She is a passionate advocate for community change and equity and has experience working at the intersection of reproductive health and environmental justice. In 2021, Daisy was appointed as Commissioner for the City of San Francisco.
Access Reproductive Justice is dedicated to removing barriers to sexual and reproductive health care while empowering Californians to advocate for health, justice, and dignity. As California's statewide abortion fund, ACCESS RJ operates a bilingual Healthline that connects individuals living in or traveling to California with logistical and practical support
Zakia Afrin is the Director of Survivor Advocacy and Prevention at Maitri. She is also a Senior Fellow and Adjunct Professor of International Law, Golden Gate University and the founder of aynerkotha.com, a community education project that aims to create awareness of legal rights in Bangladesh. Maitri is a free, confidential, non-profit organization helping families and individuals from South Asia facing domestic violence, emotional abuse, cultural alienation, or family conflict.
Ashima Yadava is an India born, conceptual documentary photographer who believes in art as a means to social activism and reform. Her work has been featured in publications including National Geographic, Mother Jones, SFChronicle, and has been exhibited around the world including at the deYoung Museum, the United Nations in New York, RISD, ICP – New York and Rotterdam Photo Festival. Yadava is a California Arts Council Fellow and the founder of Huq : I Seek No Favor.