When Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards asked Shonda Rhimes to join the health care organizations national board, Rhimes responded with the word she wrote the book on: a resounding yes.The two powerhouse women talked to Elle about why Rhimes ended up joining the national board after volunteering for the Los Angeles board and her local Southern California affiliate, and why Richards wanted her to in the first place.Shes been a great supporter for a long time, Richards said, before recognizing Rhimess commitment to amplifying minority voices. 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 theres just no one better at utilizing the power of storytelling than Shonda Rhimes.And Rhimes is ready to show up and get to work. When asked what shes eager to do in her new position, her answer was straightforward: I havent totally defined what I want to do yet, but mostly I want to be of service ' in any way that I can.Rhimes said that shes grateful that shes always had access to medical care, but that that doesnt mean she isnt ready to devote her time to making sure that other women have access as well.The fact that Ive never had to use a Planned Parenthood, the fact that Ive never been in need of medical services I couldnt afford or didnt have access to, doesnt mean I shouldnt be concerned about the fact that other women dont have that access, she said. I think thats important.Just as Rhimes has never shied away from supporting Planned Parenthood and womens health care, shes also never shied away from destigmatizing abortion in her primetime shows. Both Scandal and Greys Anatomy featured abortion storylines for main characters, and Richards pointed out how essential it is to represent something that one in three American women will go through.At Planned Parenthood, weve spent the past few months making sure that our patients, from every background, have ways to tell their stories on television, in the media, she said.And Shonda has always been unapologetic about speaking truth to power. She does it every Thursday night. Were just incredibly grateful that of all the ways she could be spending her time, shes committed some of it to Planned Parenthood.Head over to Elle to read the full interview. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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