A sea of pink — Planned Parenthood’s signature color — filled the presidential ballroom as guests gathered in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel to rally for reproductive accessibility at the 2024 Impact Gala for Health Equity sponsored by Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington on Sept. 28.
Sulakshi Ramamoorthi, the co-founder and co-president, and Claire Kolmansberger, the co-president of American University’s chapter of NO MORE attended the event. The club, which is focused on sexual and domestic violence prevention, receives about $5,000 in funding from Planned Parenthood every semester.
Ramamoorthi said that Planned Parenthood has been the fiscal backbone of all that the club has been able to accomplish, from organizing survivor-centered events to fundraising with merchandise.
“It was all Planned Parenthood,” she said.
As the main event began, attendees sat around tables facing a stage and a screen showing a map of the United States that indicated states with abortion bans that affect pregnancies up to 20 weeks colored blue, representing 22 states in the nation.
Measures restricting abortion access since the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, were illustrated throughout the night. Diana Bruce, secretary and chair of the development committee on the Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Board of Directors described the fight for accessibility.
“It’s been very hard since the Dobbs decision,” Bruce said. “People are heartbroken. People are having a harder time accessing care.”
Bruce also added that she looks forward to receiving “marching orders” from the Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington’s President and CEO, Laura Meyers.
Meyers told the story of her grandmother who had two illegal abortions during the Great Depression, illustrating a picture of the nation before, during and now after Roe.
She ended her speech asking for donations to the organization’s Abortion Access Fund, describing it as a “lifeline.” The fund, which provides affordable care in the southernmost area on the East Coast where many do not have access in states like Tennessee and North Carolina, has served more than 2,000 patients to date.
Among those honored at the gala was First Lady of Maryland Dawn Moore, who received the Champion of Reproductive Health Award. She spoke about the importance of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington’s work for her state.
“In Maryland, reproductive rights are healthcare rights,” Moore said. “My access and my choice is not political — it’s fundamental.”
The night’s host, musician, actor and activist Common headlined the event, speaking about allyship.
“I want to salute you, men, who are here supporting women,” Common said. He then introduced the group of honorees who received the Catalyst Award.
The honorees, members of the Howard University men’s basketball team, talked about the staggering disparities that characterize Black maternal health. Jelani Williams, a senior at Howard, said that while statistics were what pulled him to the issue, stories kept him focused. He encouraged attendees to think about the women in their lives, shouting out his own “superhero” mom in the audience.
Alexis McGill Johnson, Planned Parenthood’s national president and CEO, fired up the crowd in her speech about building an “infrastructure of hope.”
She advised guests to not fall into the trap of despair in a critical fight for the upcoming presidential election. She also centered humanity, while telling the story of a woman who traveled 18 hours from Texas multiple times to receive abortion healthcare services, and all those who were necessary for her to receive healthcare.
“Hope is not charity, it’s actually an act of resistance,” McGill Johnson said.
The event closed out as Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington fundraised over $144,000 within just 15 minutes of their “Fund our Future” paddle raise.
Jolene Ivy, chair of Prince George County Council and recipient of the Ally Award, summed up the impact of donations, saying “Aren’t we glad that we’re on the right side of history?”
This article was edited by Samantha Skolnick, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Ariana Kavoossi, Ella Rousseau and Sabine Kanter-Huchting.
