I am a psychologist of liberation, a political activist for reproductive freedom, and a justice-oriented philanthropist—and my grandfather was the arch-conservative US Senator Jesse Helms from North Carolina.
From my grandfather, I inherited a controversial political legacy opposed to abortion, reproductive freedom, and the bodily autonomy of women. I embarked on my academic journey with the sole purpose of reconciling the painful political legacy of my grandfather.
As a psychologist of liberation, I know that my own process of liberation and healing is deeply connected to the millions of girls and women who are unnecessarily harmed or killed each year because of the Helms Amendment.
The Helms Amendment terrorizes women and girls in the global village by forcing them to resort to unsafe abortions, thereby risking their health, well-being, and lives. It is truly unfathomable how many millions of women and girls have been injured or killed due to unsafe abortion since the dawn of the Helms Amendment.
I cannot be truly healed until the Helms Amendment is reinterpreted and repealed, and safe abortion is accessible to all. [MORE]