Wesleyan College to host reproductive rights rally Oct. 25, unveil new mural
With the effects of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade still unraveling, Wesleyan College will host a “Rep the Rights” rally for reproductive rights awareness Oct. 25 at the Porter Auditorium lawn.
The rally runs from noon to 2 p.m. and features the unveiling of a mural by Erin Hawkins, better known as “Mama Hawk Draws” across social media, as well as speakers including Middle GA For Choice co-founder Morgan Allison and Josh Billings, an organizer and strategist for Georgia’s Democratic Party.
“We want everyone in the Wesleyan family, not just students, to hear about this,” said Brandi Underwood, president of Wesleyan’s Power and Protest Society and lead organizer of the event. “An important aspect of this rally is to let students know that there are options, there are local resources and on-campus resources for you right now, if you need to make your choice.”
Wesleyan’s nurse practitioner and representatives from the Macon-Bibb County Health Department will also attend the rally, showcasing resources available for students and Maconites.
Underwood said the purpose of the event is to spread awareness about reproductive rights, the court ruling and the resources to which students on Wesleyan’s campus have access.
“Being a liberal arts college, the professors really encourage us to have that free thinking in our conversations, in our assignments, and I like that the whole college applied that to this rally,” Underwood said. “They care about what the students want, and what students need… not just related to Roe v. Wade and pro-choice, but period.”
At the heart of the event is Hawkins’s mural, which features a colorful array of flowers that resemble the female reproductive system. Wesleyan students and Maconites alike helped finish the mural during a painting day on Sept. 17 that preceded the rights rally.
“Abortion does not need to be a secret, it is a healthcare thing that needs to be discussed so people understand it,” Hawkins said of her mural and the rally. “When there’s less education about it, that causes people that are at risk to do more dangerous things than privileged people.”
How the rally blossomed
Much like the flowers in the mural, the rally started with a small seed.
Hawkins posted on July 15 about doing a mural for women’s rights on Instagram when the controversy surrounding Roe v. Wade was frustrating many. Wesleyan ended up reaching out and offering her a space to paint.
“It was kismet, I think, because wanting to do something and wanting it to be seen and accessible to the community was a really big part of it,” Hawkins said. “Then knowing the history of Wesleyan and knowing their community, I knew that this could be an even stronger message with them behind me.”
From there the event took off, and Underwood got the chance to schedule speakers on behalf of PAPS as the event’s main student organizer. She scheduled a sex education session, a sticker design contest and several other events throughout the month to lead up to the rally.
For Hawkins, the rally has personal ties. She has made her artwork a business for the past seven years, but she received no commission for this painting, though Wesleyan did provide the materials. Her two daughters play a big role in her interest in productive rights.
“I have two daughters, and frankly I’m terrified for what it means for them,” Hawkins said. “Them and others now have to go through an extra hoop to get something that is healthcare.”
The bottom line for her is that the rally spreads awareness about something important. After painting the mural over the course of six days, Hawkins had Wesleyan students and Maconites help her complete it.
“It was phenomenal, this was maybe my sixth time doing a community painting thing, and letting the community have access to art is a big part of my business and my life,” Hawkins said. “We had something like a 70 year difference in ages for people coming out to paint, it was multi-generational.”
The rally, originally scheduled for Sept. 30, was rescheduled to late October due to projections of Hurricane Ian hitting Middle Georgia.
