Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanay Watson-Whittaker.
Hi Shanay , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am originally from The Bronx, NY – specifically, the northeast Bronx. I moved to Detroit in 2008 to be with my partner, now husband, Ken Whittaker. I had a rough childhood. My parents weren’t the best people. My mother tried her best. She raised five of us with the help of my praying Nana, Ernestine. My grandmother passed away in January 1992 when I was 14 years old. Our whole world collapsed. My mother lost it. She’s bipolar and schizophrenic. She stopped taking her meds, left her job, stopped paying bills, and got hooked on drugs – crack cocaine. I am her oldest child, although I am a twin. I tried my best to keep it all together – going to school, helping my siblings, and paying bills. Eventually, we lost our home, and we moved to the Ruth Fernandez shelter in the South Bronx.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I got pregnant while living in the shelter. At 17 years old, there was no way I was going to have a baby in that environment. I saw people get shot, people commit suicide, a rat as big as a house cat chased me, and I was sexually assaulted in that shelter. I experienced so much trauma, including child abuse and mental abuse. I had no support system when I chose to have an abortion, and that’s why I do this work. I want to make sure another teenage person who went through similar lived experiences I did has access to reproductive care, including birth control, IVF, miscarriage management, and abortion.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am Reproductive Freedom for All’s Director of Michigan Campaigns. I advocate for millions of Michiganders who voted for the 2022 Proposal 3 ballot initiative. We codified reproductive freedom into Michigan’s constitution. I was the deputy campaign manager of that campaign. What sets me apart from others is my background. I do this work not to feel good, but for survival. I do this work for my four girls and two boys, all of them are in their twenties.
Also, I recognize that I don’t do this work alone. It takes a coalition. I am thankful for our coalition partners with whom we continue to work in this movement. I want everyone to know that the fight for reproductive freedom in Michigan isn’t over. Planned Parenthood clinics closed because of federal cuts, and if I did not have the services I received in New York when I was 17 years old, I wouldn’t be here today.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Reading the Bible keeps me grounded. Toni Morrison and Octavia Butler’s books give me an escape from reality.
Reproductive Justice Books:
Reproductive Justice: An Introduction by Rickie Solinger and Loretta Ross
Laboring Women by Jennifer L. Morgan
Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts
Leadership Books:
Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement by Barbara Ransby
Where Do We Go From Here by Dr. Martin Luther King
The Chiffon Trenches by André Leon Talley
Any blogs, podcasts, or videos on African American and Caribbean genealogy. When I need inspiration, I get in my Kendrick Lamar, Caribbean gospel, and Mississippi Mass Choir bag.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reprofreedomforallmi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reprofreedomforall
- Twitter: https://x.com/reproforallMI
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@reproductivefreedomforall
