Our Origin Story: Beyond our Wildest Dreams

We Testify was conceived in Frida Kahlo's backyard in Mexico City at 'La Casa Azul' while founder, Renee Bracey Sherman, was there for a staff retreat with the National Network of Abortion Funds. The concept originated there in the garden, in front of a big, bright, blue wall even before it had a name. Now, years later, the spirit infusing We Testify remains. We remember Frida Kahlo as a freedom fighter, a disability justice activist, an artist, an intergenerational storyteller who shared about her miscarriages and reproduction through art. She was a socialist dreamer and a woman of color.

Each storyteller that is part of We Testify is also fighting for freedom, telling intergenerational stories about reproduction and abortion. Like 'La Casa Azul,' We Testify is a home and a creative space to explore all of the power and possibilities that abortion storytellers can imagine.

We Testify has evolved from an idea in Frida Kahlo's garden to a program alongside abortion funds, and now is its own entity, still led by Renee Bracey Sherman and all the people who've had abortions and shared their stories. In its newest stage of development, We Testify is embodied by a new and distinctive visual brand and website.

Our brand represents our people...

People who have abortions and have no problem clapping back in defense of our decisions and people they love.

People who have abortions and are fiercely loyal, possessing unconditional compassion.

People who have abortions and are fly, fun, approachable, and comfortable in our own skin.

People who have abortions and are just as willing to listen as to share — self-aware, pragmatic, real, and effortlessly magnetic with a big personality, ahead of the trend.

People who have abortions and take birth control because we have sex and are invested in community, abundance, and pleasure.

We're making meaningful changes to how We Testify shows up in the world.

We Testify is diverse and our story is changing. We're moving beyond a purple and gold color scheme. We hope this helps our audiences to see We Testify holistically as its own entity in our new iteration.

We will maintain some gold, tattoo images, and stars for continuity but will depart from our previous color scheme. The color gold, to us, means that everyone who has abortions should have a gold-level, highest quality experience possible. That's what we deserve. A deep blue and gold combination is like storytelling stars popping in the night sky.

We have always incorporated tattoo icons as our logo to signify another common permanent, and sometimes stigmatized, decision many of us make to our bodies, although way less regulated.

We are now using cream and brown as signifiers of melanin because people of color have abortions and will no longer be left out of the conversation. The incorporation of a range of skin colors is integral to the identity of We Testify. Different shades of brown have an earthy warmth tone and remind us of the skins of the BIPOC we're centering.

When we think about stars as a motif in our brand, it means to us that people who have abortions are the best! We are stars in the present! We are North Star for the future and we hold the stars representing our past ancestors. So our brand is bold, earthy, and celestial at the same time, embodied while grounded AND transcendent while heavenly, which is what We Testify storytellers are.

Our new brand also more strongly features photos showing people who have abortions more than ever before, in happy moments supporting and loving each other. We Testify is both soft and fierce. It's compassion and empowerment. It's both gentle and strong.

We Testify's brand is designed to speak to people who have abortions with love and righteous indignation.