Grammy Nominee Allison Russell Pens Protest Haiku on Social Media

Recent Grammy nominee Allison Russell knows what oppression and violence are like.

She endured much as a young person, including physical, sexual, and mental abuse by adults who were supposed to care for her. The trauma is the subject of her award-winning album, Outside Child, and will also be included in her forthcoming as-of-yet unpublished memoir.

With this as the backdrop, Russell took to social media on Monday (June 27) to share a new haiku with her audience about the recent decision by the United States Supreme Court to controversially overturn the 50-year precedent of Roe v. Wade, which, until this month, federally protected a woman’s right to choose and whether or not she could have an abortion.

Taking to Twitter, Russell wrote:

“Classic Fascist Moves
How far back will this train go?
Reinstate three fifths?

#haiku #MondayMotivation #SupremeCourt #Theocracy#BansOffOurBodies time to #Fight #vote #resist in #coalition“

For those that know their history, the “three-fifths” is a reference to the American Constitution, which, during slavery, counted Black slaves as three-fifths of a human being when it came to the population of a southern state and determining the number of representatives for Congress it was allowed.

In her haiku, therefore, Russell is wondering aloud how far back restrictions on humanity and personal freedoms will go? Will it remove contraception? Marriage equality? Interracial couples? Re-institute slavery?

Some may think Russell is going too far here, but given SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas recently referring to rolling back marriage equality and contraception, perhaps Russell is truly—and sadly—onto something.

Russell, of course, is one of many musicians to come out in protest against the recent SCOTUS ruling, including others like Jack White, Taylor Swift, Pearl Jam, PINK, and many, many more.

Photo by Marc Baptiste / Grandstand Media