Shonda Rhimes joins the board of Planned Parenthood
Shonda Rhimes is now going to be on the national board of Planned Parenthood.
Shonda Rhimes is now going to be on the national board of Planned Parenthood.
Rhimes explained to Elle that she could hardly turn down the position when Planned Parenthood Federation of America president Cecile Richards offered it to her. “When someone you really admire…calls on you to serve, you say yes,” she said.
“The fact is that women’s health is under fire right now,” Rhimes added. “And so to me, it feels like it’s important to help fight back.”
–Shonda Rhimes named creative director of Dove beauty production company–
“I just want to be of service,” she said. “And I’ll do that any way I can.”
“Shonda was already serving on the board out in Los Angeles, and she’s been a great supporter for a long time. But what she brings not only to this board, but frankly to the world, is her commitment to lift up the stories of people who don’t always get heard, whether it’s in the way she talks about LGBT issues or women’s reproductive health care or [the way she] centers people of color on television,” Richards said of the decision to ask Rhimes to serve on the board.
“To me, the most important work we can do now at Planned Parenthood is make sure that the voices of all those folks are heard, particularly in this political environment. And there’s just no one better at utilizing the power of storytelling than Shonda Rhimes.”
Rhimes also spoke about her experience with Planned Parenthood and why she knew she had to say yes to the opportunity. “I’m fortunate. I’ve always had medical care. I’ve always had access. I’ve never personally had to use a Planned Parenthood. But I have many friends who have and do and did, and I think it’s important that that access be there for everyone,” she said.
Check out more of Elle’s interview with Shonda Rhimes and Cecile Richards here.
