This post originally appeared on the ACRJ Blog.

Approximately 10 days ago, offensive billboards began cropping up in East and West Oakland. Co-opting a message that has been used to uplift and empower the Black community for decades, the billboards are part of a national right wing effort to eliminate women's reproductive rights, beginning (as always) with women of color. A well-funded right wing organization has perpetrated ads meant to divide the Black community, shame Black women, and scapegoat health clinics that provide preventative care in our community.

Using the phrase, "Black & Beautiful; too many aborted" the billboards aim to shame and divide our community and we won't stand for it.

In response to this attack, a small but mighty group of folks have been putting pressure on CBS Outdoor who owns the billboards. We've gotten great media coverage and continue to organize in the community. In response to organizational calls to CBS Outdoor, the man in charge, Jeff McCuen, is quoted as saying, "I'm only getting calls about this from you" while continually refusing to take the billboards down. So now, we want to show Jeff that the WHOLE community cares.

Between now and Tuesday, please put in a personal call to Jeff (info below). We hope to get hundreds of calls and emails into Jeff by Tuesday, so let ACRJ know when you have made your call.

Please take a moment to make a call to Jeff and relay the following message:

"Hi, my name is ______ and I'm a resident of (or work in) Oakland. I'm calling to respectfully ask CBS Outdoor to take down all the Radiance Foundation billboards found in Oakland. I find these billboards highly offensive and the messaging deceptive. These billboards are part of a larger, national campaign to completely eliminate a woman's right to choose, and they offend me deeply, (as an African American, as a woman, as a believer in the reproductive justice, etc.) in a city with a rich history of Black empowerment. Take down the billboards now!"

Jeff McCuen's contact information:
(510) 559-1135 (direct line)
(510) 527-3350 (receptionist)
jeff.mccuen@cbsoutdoor.com

On any email to Jeff, please cc' his supervisors:

1) Patrick Roche
patrick.roche@cbsoutdoor.com

2) Shannon Jacobs
sljacobs@cbs.com

3) Jodi Senese
jodi.senese@cbsoutdoor.com

Thank you so much for taking action, and spreading the word.