Racism is a Public Health Crisis

In the wake of the initial coronavirus outbreak, BWWAP fought against proposed budget cuts to public health programs that provide critical support Black women, such as the Black Infant Health Program.

Press Release: Governor signs California Momnibus bill

Monday, October 4, 2021 – Today, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed The California Momnibus Act (SB 65) into law, marking a significant victory for reproductive justice and the battle against the Black maternal and infant mortality and morbidity crisis in the United States.

You Deserve Better

You Deserve Better is a campaign by Black Women for Wellness Action Project and Courage California. Using a speculative fiction format, we took a closer look at the horrors of crisis pregnancy centers.

Vote NO on the Governor Recall Election

Vote NO on the Governor Recall Election

A small group of right-wing conservatives tried to roll back the will of the voters in our state by recalling Governor Newsom, despite his fair election. It was time for us to VOTE NO on the recall— and together, we sent a message that democracy matters.

Vote No on the California Recall Flyer

BWWAP worked hard to defeat this conservative power grab. With support from our partners at Million Voters Project, our team:

  • Talked with more than 6,500 voters on the phones to ensure they understood the process, had a plan to vote, understood what was at stake and the importance of voting no in the election
     
  • Created and placed ads statewide where we new Black voters would see and hear them. From Los Angeles to the Bay Area, we reached hundreds of thousands of voters in South LA, Compton, Watts, Inglewood, Palmdale, Lancaster, Oakland, Stockton, Fresno and beyond through mobile app ads, billboards, wheat postings, and local newspapers
  • Ran radio ads heard by over 100 thousand people in Los Angeles
     
  • Connected with 65+ businesses in South LA to encourage them to share No on the Recall messages and voting information with their clientele
     
  • Partnered with BIPOC lead and serving organizations lead by Courage California to host a youth-focused Stop the Recall Rally where we engaged, energized and educated attendees on the issues at stake
     
  • Partnered with NARAL Pro-Choice California and Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California to host a Stop the Recall Reproductive Freedom Phone Bank that featured elected officials and community leaders who offered their insights with 150+ volunteers and underscored the importance of voting NO in this special election

Voters had two questions on their ballots—we urged Californians to vote NO on question one. Voting NO meant we kept our Governor and protected our democracy. In the 2.5 years since Governor Newsom has taken office, he has worked with us to advance access to maternal care and break down racial inequalities in our state. We’ve fought for and won: the largest renter assistance and relief program in the country; an extended moratorium on evictions; and COVID-19 relief and health benefits for many families. Right now, Black communities are being heavily impacted by the pandemic, uprisings demand a reckoning with systemic racism, and now abortion access is rapidly shrinking around the country—more than ever, California must be a leader in these progressive fights, and we cannot allow right-wing backlash to dismantle the progress we’ve fought so hard for.

The stakes were high in this election. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, we MOBILIZED our communities to vote. Our democracy and our futures depended on it.