Tubman Travel Project Announces Texas Abortion Care Travel Initiative

Texas-based initiative provides guided group accompaniment, emotional care, and wrap-around full-service support for travel out of Texas for abortion care. Nationwide - September 06,2024 (USAnews.com) The Tubman Travel Project, a national social good non-profit, will make a public announcement about the Texas Tubman Travel Initiative. The Texas-based initiative provides in-person guided group accompaniment, emotional care, and wrap-around full-service support for women to travel out of Texas for abortion care. The announcement date was intentionally set by the founder and CEO of The Tubman Travel Project, Rev. Erika Ferguson, in recognition of the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision to end Roe v. Wade.

The initiative is in response to Texas Senate Bill 8 (SB 8), which took effect on September 1, 2021. Since then, Rev. Erika has provided guided care and accompaniment for over 100 trips to New Mexico, where abortion care is accessible.

"Stepping out and speaking publicly about our initiative is intentional," said the Chief Visionary Officer and founder. "There is a high level of fear and confusion as a result of how the SB 8 law is written, and it is having a chilling effect on Texas women and their ability to access support. This bully tactic has been pushed and amplified by the opposition. But it's a new day in the great state of Texas, and that’s why we are holding this public press conference. We are making it clear that intimidation and the misinformation being presented will not work. We are here to show the state and our country that the way you defeat a bully is not to run or hide but to stand up and directly say, 'We’re not scared of you.'"

Today, with this press conference, we are making sure that every woman who wants to fly out of this state to get abortion care will have the accompaniment and support they deserve. With our announcement, we shine the spotlight on this transformative initiative. Our Texas work is to guarantee that women in Texas will have the opportunity to travel with others to access the reproductive healthcare they want and need. Our work is to take action and demonstrate what it looks like to use power to exercise the human right of bodily autonomy. Our organization exists to boldly bring clarity where there is confusion and to provide actual personal care for women who must travel outside their home state to get abortion care. Finally, and equally as important, we are here to be loud and proud that we are writing the new narrative that travel for abortion can be transformative and healing.

This is what we have been doing from day one, and it will be what we continue to do because our purpose is bigger than politics, policy, or people with power.

The Texas Tubman Travel Initiative focuses on providing guided accompaniment via commercial airline to individuals seeking medication or procedural abortion care outside of Texas through partnerships with established anchor organizations in New Mexico and support from volunteer community members. Members of the press are invited to a private announcement and Q&A session about the Texas Tubman Travel Initiative at 9 am on Monday, June 24, 2024. Rev. Erika Ferguson will discuss the project's goals and objectives for raising awareness around efforts to provide transformative travel for reproductive care. To get location information reporters must RSVP by 8am on Monday June 24, 2024 space is limited RSVP - [email protected]

For more information about the Texas Tubman Travel Initiative or The Tubman Travel Project, please visit https://texastubmantravel.org/