August 24, 2022

The statement below may be attributed to Rep. Zakiya Summers (D-68) on Speaker’s Gunn establishment of the Commission on the Sanctity of Life in the wake of the Dobbs decision:

A group of 19 representatives submitted a letter to Speaker Gunn to recommend diversity in gender and race among the membership of his appointed Commission on the Sanctity of Life, specifically the inclusion of black women. We thank the speaker for listening and heeding our request. As a result of our request, two black women have been named.

Our position is clear. Black women will be disproportionately impacted by the overturning of Roe v. Wade and there must be an intentional effort to have them a part of the conversation on how we improve outcomes and build a culture that serves all mothers and children.

We look forward to the important work that comes out of the commission and the opportunity to further engage on critical policy proposals that provide health, wellness, and financial security for women, children, and families in Mississippi.

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See the Policy Memo here.