Whaley’s article “Black Women and the Fight for Abortion Rights: How This Brochure Sparked the Movement for Reproductive Freedom” highlights how Black women’s reproductive struggles are deeply tied to civil rights. The “We Remember” brochure, published in 1989, responded to Webster V. Reproductive Health Service, a supreme court decision enabling states to restrict abortion access towards marginalized women and more disproportionately women of color. Whaley (2019) notes that this ruling “once more slaps poor women in the face,” reinforcing the economic and racial disparities in reproductive healthcare. The brochure asserted that abortion restrictions were another form of systemic oppression, stating “somebody is saying that we can’t handle the freedom of choice” (National Political Congress of Black Women, 1989).
The brochure radically outlined abortion access as a human right, rejecting the notion that Black women needed external control over their reproductive decisions and bodies. The Congress of Black Women (1989) rejected the idea that Black women's reproductive rights would be controlled by anyone other than themselves. While mainstream feminist movements failed to address racial inequities in reproductive justice, activists like Loretta Ross and Bylye Avery worked to create independent Black-led and centered advocacy groups (Whaley, 2019).
Despite ongoing legal and policy battles, Black women continue to fight for reproductive autonomy. The Hyde Amendment still restricts Medicaid coverage for abortion, disproportionately impacting low-income Black women. Modern organizations such as the Afiya Center argue, “Black women take care of their families by taking care of themselves. Abortion is self-care” (Whaley, 2019). By centering lived experiences and rejecting stigma, Black women’s activism remains essential in the reproductive justice movement.
With this in mind, I pose the following questions:
- How can policy makers integrate reproductive justice into healthcare policies?
- How do cultural and religious factors shape Black women’s access to reproductive healthcare?
- What strategies can public health initiatives use to amplify Black women’s voices in reproductive rights discussions.