Judge Hatchett’s family’s story is highlight of Harris-Walz reproductive freedom bus tour

The interior of Wood Chapel BBQ in Summerhill was a bit different than it would normally be on a Friday night. Blue “Harris Walz” signs took up wall space next to red “Stop Trump’s Abortion Ban” signs. The restaurant was packed as usual, but on that afternoon it was supporters of the Democratic presidential Harris-Walz ticket that filled the wooden picnic tables. They were there to see and hear popular political figures such as Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff, Congresswoman Nikema Williams, and State Rep. Shea Roberts (District 52), and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms speak as part of that day’s “Fighting for Reproductive Freedom” bus tour, but it was a former television star that stole the show. 

Glenda A. Hatchett, more commonly known as “Judge Hatchett” from her many seasons as a television star and TV judge, still practices law in Atlanta as a trial attorney with Stewart Miller Simmons, but on Friday afternoon she took the stage as a grandmother. Hatchett and her son, Charles Johnson IV, lost Kira Dixon Johnson, her daughter-in-law, during childbirth in 2016. Though not necessarily a reproductive issue, Dixon’s death during what should have been one of the greatest moments of that family’s life, is parallel to what happens when women aren’t heard.

“This is the first time I’ve told this story on the campaign trail,” Hatchett told The Atlanta Voice after she left the stage.

Hatchett and her son have made several television appearances and talked to several publications about their family’s loss, but the political sphere is new to her. A major pillar of United States Vice President Kamala Harris’ and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s presidential campaign are reproductive rights and Hatchett’s testimony about Kira’s unfortunate passing is something the Harris-Walz campaign might want to make a feature, at least in Georgia, going forward.

Hatchett wore a white jacket with words and phrases on it like “Empowered,” “Vote”, “Let Your Voice be Heard,” and “Democracy,” as she walked over to speak. She was roundly applauded after being announced to speak, saying it was a “privilege and responsibility to be here” and that voters didn’t do what they needed to do in 2016 and “because we didn’t do what we needed to do in 2016” the country saw three Supreme Court Justices help get Roe v. Wade overturned after decades in the books. 

“Had that not happened we wouldn’t be talking about the overturning of Roe v. Wade,” Hatchett reiterated. 

Moments later she shared her family’s story of loss and you could hear a pin drop in what was minutes earlier filled with loud, energetic supporters. The silence in the room said a lot about how a story of such tragic loss affects anyone that hears it. Roberts, a wife and mother, also shared her story of having to have an abortion at the age of 37. 

“I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that it was the best decision for myself, my family, and my unborn child,” Roberts, who is an outspoken supporter of reproductive rights, said.  

Asked if she was open to sharing her story on the campaign again, Hatchett said she was open to doing that. 

 “This is not a story that I am shy about telling,” she said. 

Two of the people inside Wood Chapel BBQ that were listening, Marnita Lawrence, a Douglas County resident, and Opal Williams, a Fulton County resident and independent, both listed social security, Medicare, and the economy as issues that are at the top of their lists this election season. That said, both were captivated by Hatchett’s story. During the telling, each were speechless, similar to what looked like every other person in the room that wasn’t either crying or physically wiping away tears.

“I vote for my interests and the interests of my family,” Williams said. 

“I think there’s momentum going, but hopefully that translates into votes,” Lawrence said. 

Ossoff added that the coming presidential election is about more than party choice. “It’s not about Democrats v. Republicans,” Ossoff said. “It’s about real women’s lives.” 

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