September 22, 1990

Vassar students joined about 500 community members at the Poughkeepsie waterfront to rally for reproductive rights. The rally was organized by the Student Mid-Hudson Alliance for Choice (S.M.A.C), a consortium of college students from Vassar, Dutchess Community College, Bard and The State University of New York at New Paltz. The Alliance hoped to educate rally participants on issues surrounding sex and reproduction, namely “maintaining safe, legal and accessible abortion, family planning and AIDS education,” as well as domestic violence, sexual harassment and sexual discrimination.

Those who attended heard speeches by “some of the best people that have ever been to Poughkeepsie to address reproductive freedom,” according to historian, activist and the event’s master of ceremonies Allida Black, including Lynn Paltrow from the American Civil Liberties Union, Russ Funk from the National Organization of Men Against Sexism and Patricia Hennesy from Catholics for Free Choice.

The Society to Stop Planned Parenthood held a counter-gathering attended by about 150 anti-abortionists at Our Lady of Lourdes High School. A group of students not associated with S.M.A.C. practiced civil disobedience outside of this gathering and were arrested.

—The Miscellany News