Written by Gracie Williams, Photos by Kendra Frankle
At noon today, SCAD students joined members of the local community to march in Savannah’s ‘Stop the Bans’ protest. The group gathered in opposition of the newly passed abortion laws in the follow states, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Utah.
Georgia’s Governor, Brian Kemp, signed a bill stating that performing abortions after the point when a detectable human heartbeat exists is considered a felony.
The participating crowd consisted mostly of young women, specifically a large group of SCAD students who were vocal about their beliefs. “We have a level of privilege being here. We go to a great school and have a lot of support around us. For me to be able to use my voice when others can’t–– that’s why I’m here,” said second-year student Grace Huey.
The protest began in Johnson Square, where four women, including second-year student Noa Gamliel, spoke about the bills and their experiences. After the speeches, the protesters marched to Chippewa square, where they made closing statements.
When the protest concluded, fourth-year student Sylvie Baggett spoke on the importance of using her voice for a larger cause. “This is the first rally I’ve ever really been to. You shouldn’t use your voice solely for yourself, it’s more important to speak for those who can’t, and since I do have that privilege, it’s even more important that I use my voice,” Baggett said.
Speaker at Stop the Ban Protest, Savannah Tuesday, May 21. [Kendra Frankle/scaddistrict.com] 
Students and community participate in the “Stop the Ban” Protest in Savannah on Tuesday, May 21. [Kendra Frankle/scaddistrict.com]
Second-year student Savannah Valentina organized today’s protest with the help of Kaitlin Feinberg and the External Affairs Coordinator at Planned Parenthood Southeast, Kate Dunnagan. When Valentina realized that a wave of country-wide demonstrations was scheduled for May 21, and nothing was planned for Savannah, she knew she wanted to help. “‘There is no way that people all over the US are doing this and there’s nothing going on in this area.’ … [I thought,] ‘I’d like there to be something, I guess I’ll start it,’” Valentina said.
That’s when Valentina posted on Facebook that she was interested in organizing a protest, and the responses were immediate. “Kate Dunnagan reached out to us on Facebook and was so interested in our cause and what we were planning to do with this protest. She got three speakers involved and worked everything out with the police. She made it such a successful event,” Feinberg said.
There are a number of ways for students to contribute to the cause outside the protest. “There is more that you can do besides just coming to protests and rallies. Remember to register to vote, go online and sign petitions. There’s a petition on the planned parenthood website, contact your governor, contact your local representatives. All that information is public,” Valentina said. “Every little piece and every person can make a difference, all this started from a Facebook post.”
For more information on ‘Stop The Bans’ protests visit their website.
