Marcela Howell, founder and executive director for a national reproductive justice advocacy organization in Washington, D.C., was the first to begin to think about ways to defend Roe v. Wade if it were to be attacked after Donald Trump was elected President.
A leaked draft opinion that suggested the Supreme Court would overturn the constitutional right of abortion was leaked last month. In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda began concerted efforts in reaching Black women voters throughout the country. Howell stated that if Roe is reaffirmed, the organization would continue to work with its partners as well as abortion fund-raising organizations to help women.
Interviews with NBC News revealed that Howell and other Black leaders weren’t surprised at the draft opinion. They had anticipated it for years due to ongoing abortion rights rollbacks in the country. According to the Guttmacher Institute which studies and promotes reproductive rights, more than 100 restrictions on abortion were enacted in 2021. Leaders are still working out how to handle the aftermath.
“None is the same.” This has been going on for a long time,” Linda Goler Blount (CEO of the Black Women’s Health Imperative) said. It’s now in the news, maybe in a different manner. This isn’t new.
Howell stated that people with low incomes have faced obstacles for many years. Poor women can’t use Medicaid to cover the cost of treatment because the Hyde Amendment bans federal funds being used for most abortions.
“All these kinds of barriers have been put in front of women with low incomes, who are mainly women of color.” These barriers have always been there,” Howell stated. Roe was the floor and not the ceiling.
Roe’s death means that almost all abortions would be banned in 23 states immediately. There are trigger laws in 13 states, which restrict abortion rights that are not enforceable while Roe is in effect. This forces women to travel outside their state in order to get abortion services.
Lori Lightfoot, Chicago’s Mayor, announced the Justice for All Pledge of $500,000 to residents and those seeking abortions in neighboring countries. This pledge was in response to the leaked draft.
The Black Women’s Health Imperative offers a program called My Sister’s Keeper at historically Black colleges. This program promotes reproductive justice and health. Blount explained that the app is available on campus and informs users of nearby health services.
Yazmine Pleasant (20 years old) is a member the My Sister’s Keeper club at Southern University in Baton Rouge. She is also a junior. The group meets regularly to discuss how to proceed if Roe V. Wade is overturned. She said that the group is particularly concerned about how to assist victims of incest or rape seeking to have abortions. They also provide mental health support. Each semester, the group hosts a few events.
Blount, an epidemiologist, stated that her organization had been reviewing and collecting data in order to legalize abortion for women. This was especially true in Mississippi, which only has one abortion clinic. There are also trigger laws in other states that would ban abortion immediately if Roe’s decision is overturned.
It remains to be seen if this will have an impact on the midterm elections. LaTosha Brown, founder of Black Voters Matter, stated that Black voters “don’t have time to organize just one issue.”
Brown stated, “What resonates with our organization is that we organized it as a connected issue — voting rights, abortion rights — all of these things are connected.” They’re not different.”
Howell stated that it is not a coincidence that many of the states that have passed restrictive voting laws that disproportionately impact people of color are also some states that are currently trying to pass abortion bans. Howell stated that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), raised the possibility for a nationwide ban on abortion after the draft was leaked. This contradicts Republican claims that abortion should have been an issue of state.
Howell stated, “And that tells you exactly what’s behind everything.” It’s not about the religious beliefs they all hold, but about how life begins. They want control over Black voters’ voting rights, as well as their bodies.
