OKLAHOMA CITY – In response to Representative Brad Boles use of racist language while debating in favor of HB 2441, an anti-abortion bill on the House Floor today, the ACLU of Oklahoma issued the following statement:
The following is attributable to Tamya Cox-Touré, Executive Director:
“Anti-abortion efforts are rooted in white supremacy and the exploitation of Black people. From the very beginning, the medical community actively excluded Black bodies, and as a result, the maternal death rate in Black communities is nearly four times that of white people. The ACLU of Oklahoma is committed to dismantling white supremacy within all systems where racist policies, practices, and attitudes harm Black and Indigenous people of color. We are also dedicated to ensuring all Oklahomans have access to abortion care and the right to make their own health care decisions.”
“It is disgraceful that in 2021 we still have elected officials like Rep. Boles use racist rhetoric such as ‘colored’ on the floor of the People's house. Rep. Boles and his colleagues should not only commit to engaging in conversations about race equity work with the experts in our state, but also actively check their colleagues on problematic behavior.”