'Abortion is self-care': Dallas billboard triggers outrage

Pro-abortion rights and anti-abortion protesters rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, June 23, 2016. The protesters were hoping for a decision by the court in a major abortion case, Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. (Stephen Crowley/The New York Times) less Pro-abortion rights and anti-abortion protesters rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, June 23, 2016. The protesters were hoping for a decision by the court in a major abortion case, Whole ... more Photo: STEPHEN CROWLEY, NYT Photo: STEPHEN CROWLEY, NYT Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close 'Abortion is self-care': Dallas billboard triggers outrage 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

A pro-abortion billboard in Dallas is sparking negative reactions from some social media users who find the sign offensive.

"Abortion is self-care," reads the billboard. "Black women take care of their families by taking care of themselves."

The sign was placed by The Afiya Center, a non-profit advocacy organization for black women and reproductive justice.

The advocacy group shared the image of the billboard earlier this week and explained its meaning after a debate broke out in the comments.

"This billboard is just a physical representation of language we've been using this whole time," wrote The Afiya Center. "We believe the ONLY people who can make decisions about women's bodies are the women themselves."

On Twitter and Facebook, the sign received mixed reactions.

The boldness of abortion-racism.

Black communities are being targeted by the abortion industry with black women 3times more likely to abort their babies than white women.



Yet,here is a billboard campaign to glamorize the killing of black babies.

Dear sisters,wake up & walk away. https://t.co/8O1uGDmQcN — Obianuju Ekeocha (@obianuju) August 29, 2018

This is a billboard in Dallas, TX, trying to convince Black women to exterminate themselves.



The abortion lobby's war against Blacks is real.



Blacks make up 13% of the population, but endure 35% of abortions.



In NYC, a Black baby is more likely to be aborted than to be born. pic.twitter.com/iAx9eeN9Co — Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) August 30, 2018

I saw this billboard from @TheAfiyaCtr the other day and I screamed in joy: "Abortion is self-care" YES!!! We are having this conversation in Texas y'all!!! pic.twitter.com/lGv08vYQWh — Ghazaleh Moayedi, DO, MPH (@dr_moayedi) August 29, 2018

In Texas, 60 percent of voters support abortion rights, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released this month. The poll, surveying more than 1,118 Texans in late July, revealed the following breakdown of how voters feel about abortion:

-20 percent of voters say abortion in Texas should be legal in all cases.

-40 percent of voters say abortion in Texas should be legal in most cases.

-23 percent of voters say abortion in Texas should be illegal in most cases.

-11 percent of voters say abortion in Texas should be illegal in all cases.

Fernando Ramirez covers Texas news and politics. Read him on our breaking news site and on our subscriber site. | Fernando.ramirez@chron.com | @fernramirez93



