Roe was never enough. Black women voters want reproductive justice

After almost five decades, the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has allowed conservative state legislatures to dictate when, where and whether safe, legal abortion is available. While eliminating this right may have shocked some people, for many Black women abortion already was a right that could not be fully exercised. Because of funding restrictions, waiting periods and other barriers imposed by federal and state policies, many of us spent the past five decades fighting for access to a right that others enjoyed. 

Forced pregnancy and childbirth is not only an attack on basic human rights, but it also can be considered a state-sanctioned act of violence against Black women — who already face a growing maternal health crisis. Black women in the U.S. are three times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than white women. This is true across all socioeconomic and geographic lines. These disparities are strongly linked to systemic racism. 

In addition to abortion, contraception also can be out of reach for many women. While low-income people who rely on Medicaid for health care are more likely to experience gaps in contraception, putting them at increased risk of unintended pregnancy,  Black women and girls are more likely to experience contraception gaps. 

The legal protections that Roe v. Wade offered were always the floor, not the ceiling, of what’s needed to guarantee reproductive justice. Black women did not experience equal protection under the law. We know that the loss of access to abortion will make life more dangerous as local and state governments pass reproductive health restrictions that will disparately impact access for Black women. 

That’s why, while opponents of abortion rights are celebrating the end of Roe, Black women are organizing. As we saw in Kansas, voter registration soared after the Dobbs decision was released — with people of color leading the pack. But we’re not just organizing to turn out voters to defeat anti-abortion ballot measures and referenda. We are educating, registering and turning out voters to elect more Black women to office.

Today, a record number of Black women are running for Congress. We are poised to change the face of Congress in the most significant way since the so-called “Year of the Woman” in 1992, when a record number of (mostly white) women were elected to Congress, and the 2018 election, when more than 100 diverse women took seats. In both of those elections, many voters were moved to the polls in response to racist misogyny. The 1992 election was the first to follow the attacks against Anita Hill’s testimony claiming sexual harassment by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas when he chaired the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The 2018 election was the midterm election during Donald Trump’s tenure in the White House. We believe overturning Roe will activate the electorate similarly.

But this time, Black women not only will turn out to vote for mainstream candidates who support access to abortion; we’ll also run for office, run campaigns and take our rightful place as leaders. Right now, our “I Am A Voter” campaign is working in key states to educate and register Black voters. Our national “Black Reproductive Justice Pledge” asks people to promise to do everything in their power to protect Black women’s reproductive health and rights — including by voting. 

We recently acknowledged Women’s Equality Day, an anniversary celebrating white women’s right to vote. Now, Black women are preparing for a historic Election Day in November. Let me be clear: Black women no longer are just a voting bloc to count on — we’re large and in charge and determined to claim our full civil and human rights. This year will be the Year of Reproductive Justice.

Marcela Howell is president and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda. Follow her work on Twitter at @BlackWomensRJ.