ICYMI: Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari and Local Advocates Join Free & Just at Mural Unveiling Honoring Georgia Women Lost to Abortion Ban

Atlanta, GA  –– Atlanta City Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari, local partners, and advocates joined Free & Just  to unveil a mural by local artist Jasmine Nicole Williams honoring Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, two Georgia mothers who lost their lives as a result of the state’s abortion ban. The unveiling comes just days before the third anniversary of the Supreme Court’s deadly Dobbs decision, which ripped away the right to safe and legal abortion. In the years since, attacks on reproductive freedom have continued to escalate, and women in Georgia and across the country have lost their lives as a result of abortion bans and restrictions.

These aren’t isolated incidents. Right now, we know of five confirmed deaths due to abortion bans in Texas and Georgia. But we know that there are more and Republican officials in Georgia and other states are going out of their way to suppress and hide information about lives lost to abortion bans. 

At the event, local patient storytellers, health care providers, and community members shared how attacks on reproductive freedom harm women and families in Georgia and across the country.

“It is devastating what we’re seeing here in Georgia,” said Atlanta City Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari, who represents District 5. “When you strip away bodily autonomy, it affects families and the health of everyone in our communities.”

“We mourn and honor the lives of Adriana Smith, Candi Miller, and Amber Nicole Thurman. These women died preventable deaths after they were denied or prevented from accessing emergency abortion care,” said Director of Georgia Campaigns for Reproductive Freedom for All, Alicia Stallworth. “We can not and we will not stop fighting for reproductive freedom, because we deserve dignity, safety, and access to lifesaving care.” 

“This is personal. These weren’t just names you read in a headline. These were women in our communities, and they’ve left behind families as a consequence of Georgia’s draconian abortion ban,” said Jaylen Black withPlanned Parenthood Southeast Advocates. “If we do not take a stand to protect our health care at this moment, unfortunately, the women we see on this wall will not be the only ones lost to our abortion ban.”

“When I learned about the preventable deaths of Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, my heart shattered. I was angry, and I didn’t know what to do,” said Jasmine Nicole Williams, the artist who designed the mural. “The brutality of their deaths is a howling cry to the collective. We have to stand up and fight back.”

“This is not a woman’s issue, this is a people’s issue,” said Dr. Karenne Fru, MD, PHD, FACOG, an OB-GYN and the owner of Muna Fertility. “There is a reason people go to med school – we want to help people. We want to make others’ lives better. These lawmakers never went to med school – what gives them the right to interfere in medical decisions?” 

“How many times do we have to see this happen? How many times do we have to do this?” asked Davan'te Jennings, the Youth Organizing Director with Men4Choice, an organization dedicated to drawing men off the sidelines in the fight for reproductive freedom. “People love to tell men to be more macho, to protect our families. Standing up for reproductive freedom is the most manly thing we can do.” 

If you are interested in speaking with any of the participants in the press event, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us. 

Free & Just is committed to fighting for reproductive freedom. Join us in sharing stories, raising voices, and securing our future.