Our Story…

We Engage was a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization born on the sidewalk outside Jackson Women’s Health Organization (JWHO) in Jackson, MS, also known as “The Pink House.” JWHO was sued by the state of Mississippi in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision.

The Dobbs decision ended the protections of Roe nationwide on June 24, 2022. Abortion access ended in Mississippi on July 6, 2022.

Upon the Dobbs decision, thirteen states banned abortion access; since then, possibly more have followed suit. Anti-abortion legislation never stopped.

JWHO had been the only abortion clinic in Mississippi since 2004. 2004.

JWHO was unique in that it was one of the few clinics in America where clinic patient escorts ENGAGED regularly with the anti-abortion protesters on the sidewalks, hence the name of our org, We Engage.

We Engage grew from the experiences of patient escorts/clinic defenders at the clinic, known as the Pink House Defenders, led by Derenda Hancock since 2013.

We Engage believed that when you put on a clinic escort defender’s vest, you have engaged with antis. This was in direct conflict with most clinics, who generally require “non-engagement” on the sidewalks on the part of escorts. Escorts are told not to talk to the anti-abortion zealots that are harassing the patients and the clinic.

We Engage believed we ceded the sidewalks to the anti-abortion extremists for much too long.

Since We Engage’s founding in 2019, we advocated for responsible engagement at clinics, and we saw a definite increase of escorts at clinics engaging the antis at their clinics.

Anti-abortion zealots have been successful with their campaign of harassment, intimidation, and lies; their stigmatizing lies are the cultural narrative surrounding abortion. Even people who support abortion won’t say the word abortion, because even the “pro-choice” folks accepted the shame and stigma the antis push.

So, it is time to do something different. We can’t keep doing the same things and expecting something different.

And know this, restoring Roe ain’t enough. Roe wasn’t enough then and it certainly isn’t enough now. Roe was the floor, the barest of minimums.

While We Engage operated in support of the full spectrum of reproductive justice, we focused on abortion access, and the de-stigmatization of abortion.

Abortion stigma drives negative behaviors such as the harassment and violence against patients, abortion providers, clinic escorts.

And if your feminism isn’t intersectional, it ain’t feminism. Our activism was rooted in equality, equity, and progress for all.