Dr DeShawn Taylor runs Arizona’s only Black woman-owned abortion clinic amid rapid legal changes
When gynecologist and abortion provider Dr DeShawn Taylor has conversations with patients about the afterlife, they ask her if they will be condemned for their choices. To quell their concerns, she shares with them bible verses about free will. “If God wants that vessel, that spirit to get here, God will choose another vessel. You get to say, ‘I’ll pass,’” Taylor said at her clinic one spring afternoon, her short curly hair matching the color of her maroon scrubs. “I think that makes people feel a lot better with that understanding.”
As the founder and CEO of Desert Star Institute for Family Planning in Phoenix, Arizona, Taylor heads the only Black woman-run abortion clinic in the state, which also boasts a staff of women of color. On a Tuesday in March, pop music wafted throughout the waiting room filled mostly with Black and brown women, some with their children in tow. Bilingual posters about abortion care taped to the wall reflected the diversity of the clinic’s staff and clientele. On 6 February, an Arizona judge struck down state laws requiring patients to receive an ultrasound and to wait at least a day before receiving an abortion. With abortions now more accessible, a steady stream of clients poured into the office the week that the laws were repealed. By mid-March, appointments had petered out to a more manageable about 10 services a day.
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