What are our schools really teaching???

So I went to a Women's Empowerment fair not to long ago at the Englewood Community Academy. The intent of the program was absolutely amazing! I mean this program came right on time giving the urgency in addressing the issues that the young women of the Englewood neighborhood are facing; particularly with the increase in teen pregnancy. But I say "intent" of the program because YES the intentions were good, but it was a TOTAL FAIL on the implementation part. How can we try to empower and better educate the youth, especially on better safe sex practices and pregnancy prevention, when we can't even pass out condoms!!! How ridiculous is that. So my initial reaction was to blame Englewood Academy for such an outrageous rule, but come to find out, its a Chicago Public School rule. So you mean to tell me that you cannot pass out condoms in NONE OF THE CPS SCHOOLS!! No wonder why are youth is so miseducated. If the parents are in denial about their children having sex and the schools just tell them "DON'T DO IT" then they are forced to educate themselves! So please, if you are unsure about anything regarding safe sex and pregnancy prevention give us a call! We not only assist with funding for procedures, but you can use us a resource for these issues as well.

In Response......

As most of you may already know CAF has a T.V show that we do monthly. The feed from the show is posted up on youtube afterwards. So if you haven't viewed some of our shows please do so! But I didn't write to pub our show..NO! I'm writing in response to the comments that are posted up on some of our videos. I finally got the chance to read some of these "brilliant comments", and it was pure foolery!! Of course the comments were obscene and degrading; but the underlying messages were just of total ignorance. So in response to the comments: we aren't trying to brain wash black women you idiot! That is a ridiculous statement in it self. As a black woman who works toward empowering and uplifting women of color, that was a total slap in the face! I'm not sure how anyone can turn educating a community on issues that pertain and affect them DIRECTLY turns into brain washing. So to the person who posted the comment, who is a black man btw, you are hurting a race of people more than you realize. You are hating the wrong people! Instead of giving us backlash for trying to help and educate our people, you need to push that anger in the direction of the people who are setting these laws in stone that are more detrimental than helpful to our people. So don't try to stop our messages, instead pass them along!

Unfortunately, I don't have anything to blog about today, at least nothing I'm willing to share right now. Hopefully I will be inspired to blog soon but right now, I 'm still very much caught up in personal stuff. I'm very much still in the world right now, living my life, taking care of my children, but at night when no one 's around I'm still upset about stupid things that I got involved with even though I knew better. So what do you tell yourself afterwards? When you do something or get involved with someone that you know is wrong but you do it anyway. No one to blame but yourself.

How many mothers did you wish a happy fathers day?

So yesterday was Fathers day and I don't know if it was just me, but I seen more women celebrating than men! I got more text and phone calls wishing me a happys Fathers day then I did on Mothers day. I must admit I am a single parent and I am doing by myself so the compliments were appreciated and well recieved. However, it's way too many women out here doing it by themselves. I am a strong women and I support all the strong women out here, but the children deserve a good father as well. I'm not talking about the infamous "baby daddy" that buys birthday presents, gym shoes, and Christmas gifts. I am talking about the ones that make the ultimate sacrifices and are dedicated to raising their children like mothers do EVERDAY!!!!!

On top of all of that men are often trying to control our choice then we are the ones that have to bear the consequences ...... I just want to say if you are parenting alone... Kudos....

Crisis Pregnancy Centers & the Deceiving They Do

Recently while searching the internet for work, this absolutely disgusting website popped up (I took a screenshot)-


First off, this is a complete misrepresentation of miscarriages and the situations that surround them. Miscarriages are hard to study scientifically- of one study, 22% of pregnant women miscarried before a standard urine test could even register that they were pregnant. An additional 9% of women in the study miscarried.

The risk of possible miscarriages drop significantly after you can hear the embryo's heartbeat on an ultrasound- generally after 6 weeks. That's a 2 week period (assuming the woman has a 28 day cycle and took a pregnancy test at 4 week) where miscarriages are apt to happen and the woman would know.

Further, I'd really like to know what "technology exists!" that can detect if you're likely to miscarry or not that doesn't cost thousands of dollars. The technology that exists is expensive and women who suffer repeat miscarriages use it to aid their fertility. It's not designed for the average woman to detect if she's likely to miscarry or not (especially not in the hopes that she will). The website simply states that they'll do an urine test (i.e., the same pee stick you get at a corner store) and an ultrasound (and I'd really like to see what they say at the appointment).

I'm not sure where the "enlightenment" comes from this website. Misconstrued facts and studies to meet their anti-choice ends? Telling women who are possibly in crisis to wait- and wait- and wait until they miscarry, so when the woman opts for an abortion, the cost of the procedure is more, the process is longer, and the possible risks to the woman (mostly involving general anesthesia) grow. Not to mention a miscarriage is a medical complication that can harm and/or kill a woman depending on the details surrounding her miscarriage.

This is disgusting, and I really hope the women who stumble upon the website realize the information they are presenting is being done in a way to sway them in the direction on one possible choice in life.

Your Man was off the hook last night

This is what I saw posted on a shirt while in a local store in my neighborhood. When I saw this I ask the lady behind the counter did women actually buy that shirt and she said yes it was one of their best sellers and this disgusted me. Why are shirts like this always in minority neighborhoods, starting up drama. I mean what does that really say you were with somebody else's man. Did you feel not good enough that you could get your own.Why would you wanna be second place. Are we as women really complacent with that. This is madness. As long as you label your sellf as second you will never be first in your life or anybody elses.

May's episode of "The A Word" is up!

Damilla, of the My Choice, My Voice leadership group of Chicago Abortion Fund, interviews Laura, of Medical Students for Choice. They discuss medical students and abortion providers needs, barriers and problems.

Here's part 1 of 3. Check 'em all out and let us know what you think!