It’s probably fair to describe Sue Alderson as a good listener and ionate advocate for others. As a school counselor and educator, she’s spent years listening to her students and helping them find the path that was best for them. As a founding member and president of the Democratic Club of Vista, she’s spent more recent years boosting the voices of folks in her community to be heard and recognized. And, as chair of the North County San Diego Womxn’s March, she’s focused on elevating and strengthening reproductive justice issues for women and human rights for all people.
“In all of my work as an activist, a school employee, and a member of my community, I have advocated as loudly as I could for equality. Our first march [in 2017] was in reaction to one of our greatest fears — the stripping of body autonomy. Without autonomy over your own body, the fundamental rights of personhood are no longer yours,” she says of NCSDWM’s work as a nonprofit creating events and education around reproductive justice issues.
The organization is hosting a Reproductive Justice Rally from 10 a.m. to noon today at the Oceanside Civic Plaza as part of the national Women’s March and “Bigger than Roe” programming this weekend, focused on the anniversary of the “Roe v. Wade” U.S. Supreme Court decision that guaranteed the right to an abortion; the overturning of that decision with the “Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization” Supreme Court case in 2022; and the work to secure reproductive freedom in its aftermath.
“This year, our principal goal is to ensure a federal ban against body autonomy does not become the law of the land. We are taking steps to those in states whose rights have been stripped away, or are in danger of being stripped away from them,” she says.
Alderson, 70, is a retired school counselor and a visiting professor at UC San Diego Extension’s school of education. In 2016, she met with another community activist, Tazheen Nazim, in a living room to organize their first march in response to the election of Donald Trump, which would then become the nonprofit organization she now chairs; more than 10,000 people showed up to that march, she says. Today, she lives in Vista, has two adult sons (Ariel and Joachim Castaneda), and s others who are caring for people with terminal illnesses, as she cared for her husband before he ed away from pancreatic cancer nearly three years ago. She took some time to talk about the North County San Diego Womxn’s March organization, today’s rally, and her commitment to reproductive justice.
Q: Tell us about the North County San Diego Womxn’s March.
A: After the first march, activists across North County felt empowered and energized. They became engaged in different community organizations and actions. The NCSDWM hosted what we called “huddles” in order to create opportunities to bring the people of North County together into meaningful community groups that would fight for change. Vista Neighbors in Action was the first of many such groups that we helped form. The model we employed for Vista Neighbors was subsequently adopted by Flip the 49th, an action organization that successfully helped change the 49th congressional district from red to blue. NCSDWM was, and still is, a small grass-roots organization. We do not self-promote, we create events around issues of reproductive justice: rallies, workshops, and virtual events. One of our most important goals is to elevate the voices of of the North County San Diego community.
Q: Why are today’s rally and this work around reproductive justice important to you?
A: The Dobbs decision has made criminals, in some states, of people seeking reproductive health care. The damage done emotionally and physically to women and those who care for them is now front and center. We believe this is not simply about choice, but it is about health care and life, about women’s lives. The lives of millions of women are at serious risk because of legislative, not medical, decisions.
Our rally is a collective initiative showing a deep commitment to reproductive justice in San Diego and beyond. This rally is a call to engage our community in a movement to fight for the lives of women and to fight for the human rights of all people. This rally is a space to motivate connection, critical thinking, and collective action. This is an opportunity to learn, connect, and become inspired to become part of the movement to fight for reproductive justice. The rally is a call to action.
What I love about Vista…
I live in a neighborhood with lots of trees, a community park, and people out and about walking. This is a diverse community with young families, college students, children, and folks who have lived here since their homes were built in the 1980s. We are minutes from Oceanside and the beach, Carlsbad with shopping and Lego Land, the [San Diego Zoo] Safari Park, hiking trails, and all the best of San Diego. A short drive up the freeway and you are in wine country; go the other direction and the action in the City of San Diego is 30 minutes away.
Q: What are you and others working in reproductive justice thinking about in of how you’d ideally like to see these issues addressed?
A: NCSDWM emphasizes that reproductive justice goes beyond mere choice and is fundamentally about the well-being of women. It encomes their physical, political, social, and economic dimensions and seeks to address systemic barriers. The reproductive justice movement seeks to ensure that all individuals, especially historically marginalized groups, have the freedom, opportunities, and resources to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and overall well-being.
Our organization is committed to keeping our community informed about various aspects of reproductive justice. While abortion is a component, it represents only one facet of the broader spectrum of issues that affect the lives and well-being of women, particularly women of color who initiated this movement. This includes access to contraception, comprehensive sex education, STI [sexually transmitted infections] prevention and care, alternative birth options, adequate prenatal and pregnancy care, for survivors of domestic violence, fair wages to sustain our families, secure housing, and other essential needs.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
A: that the only thing that you can control are your personal reactions to situations and circumstances. You need to dance with who comes to the party.
Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?
A: I am not sure there is much about me that is a surprise. I would have to ask someone what they learned about me that was a surprise. I am seriously pondering that question.
Q: Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend.
A: There are so many ideal weekends that I have in San Diego, I can’t think of just one. For me, it depends on who I am spending time with— family, friends, or out-of-town folks. I will say that I love to take folks to Chicano Park since the space has tremendous meaning and resonance for me and my children. In other instances, some of my favorite times have been in La Jolla with a snack at George’s overlooking that spectacular view of the cove. Other times, we would walk on the beach, take the kids to Safari Park, or simply picnic. There’s so much to choose from I cannot pick an all-time favorite. Though, I will say the idea of ever leaving the beach area with such ease with which I can simply watch the waves would create an emptiness inside me.
