Who Owns Your Body?

Part of the Sex, Drugs & Rock 'N' Roll Campus Discussion Series at Carnegie Mellon University

• View the full series schedule

Think you know 'Who Owns Your Body?' Concerned about reproductive freedom? Want to learn more about reproductive rights in Pennsylvania and what that means for your body? Mark your calendar for Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010 and head on over to Porter Hall, Room 125C at 7pm for a lively and informative discussion with Rebecca Cavanaugh, Vice President for Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania and La'Tasha D. Mayes, Executive Director of New Voices Pittsburgh: Women of Color for Reproductive Justice. Don't forget to check out the recommended readings below and bring a friend!

When: Jan. 21, 2010, 7:00 pm

Where: Carnegie Mellon University, Porter Hall, Room 125C - Frew St. off Schenley Drive, Pittsburgh, PA

Recommended Readings

• Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Robert P. Casey
• The Status of Women's Reproductive Rights in Pennsylvania - from NARAL Pro-Choice America's State Profiles
• What Roe v. Wade Should Have Said - the introductory chapter from Roe v. Wade: An Engine of Controversy by Jack Balkin
• Mission (Im)Possible by La'Tasha Mayes and Bekezela Mguni in Collective Voices: State of Reproductive Justice Edition, Fall 2009
• Laying the Foundation for the Reproductive Justice Framework by Toni M. Bond Leonard, Executive Director, Black Women for Reproductive Justice in Collective Voices: State of Reproductive Justice Edition, Fall 2009
• More about New Voices Pittsburgh: Women of Color for Reproductive Justice
• Mapping Our Rights - A project of IPAS and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
• Reproductive Justice Briefing Book produced by SisterSong: Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective
• Raising Women's Voices for the Healthcare We Need
• Don't forget to check out the great resources and information put together by the ACLU-PA's Clara Bell Duvall Reproductive Freedom Project, the Pennsylvanians for Responsible Sex Education (PARSE) Coalition, and Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania.

Facilitator Biography

Rebecca Cavanaugh joined Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania as Vice President for Public Affairs in April 2009. Before joining the staff at PPWP, Rebecca worked as a community organizer for American's for Democratic Action and campaigned for Hillary Clinton for President during the Iowa caucuses. Prior to her organizing work around the 2008 elections, Ms. Cavanaugh's work focused on domestic and international reproductive justice and human trafficking. She received her law degree from Vermont Law School and her undergraduate dregree in Women and Gender Studies from Rutgers University.

La’Tasha D. Mayes has dedicated her life’s work to building political, economic and social power with women and girls and people of color through radical systemic change and Reproductive Justice. She is the Founder and Executive Director of New Voices Pittsburgh: Women of Color for Reproductive Justice – the only human rights and social justice activist organization in Pittsburgh for women of color, led by women of color and about women of color.

Founded in 2004, NVP serves women of color 12-35 in Pittsburgh through self-help, grassroots organizing, community education and public policy advocacy. Through La'Tasha's leadership, NVP has developed the following programs and events: the SistahSpeak! Youth Project, Environmental Justice Project, Voice Your Vote! Project, Women of Color HERStory Month and the LGBTQ Women of Color Reproductive Justice Series. La'Tasha graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and earned a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management in Reproductive Health and Justice Policy at Heinz School of Carnegie Mellon University in 2005.