U.S (Color Of Change) : Attacks on abortion hit Black women hardest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear friend,  

 

 

 

Last week, the Supreme Court announced that it plans to hear a major case on abortion that could ban access after 15 weeks of pregnancy.¹  

 

Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law on Wednesday a new action that would ban abortion as early as six weeks, a time at which many don’t even know they’re pregnant.² Governors failed to enact similar laws in 2020 after they were ruled unconstitutional in the Supreme Court. Those laws required doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals to perform abortions.  

 

Here's the thing friend, the Texas law is sneaky and particularly harmful. The new law provides financial incentives for random people who sue a medical provider who performs an abortion past six weeks -- providing a loophole for governors and potentially pushing medical providers into financial ruin. 

 

Anti-abortion activists are hoping to discourage medical providers from performing abortions past the six-week mark for fear of legal challenges, even though over 90% of pregnant people seeking abortions in Texas facilities are at least six weeks pregnant.³ Abortion is still legal in Texas and 62% of Texans support the right to abortion, nevertheless, this law which takes effect in September will have a chilling effect on those seeking abortion care immediately.⁴

 

This law has historical roots in slavery. Slavery laid the original foundation for reproductive control through slave breeding, rape, and total loss of bodily autonomy or the right to parent. The United States has a long history of seeking to control and restrict the reproductive decisions of Black women, limiting access to abortion while simultaneously failing to enact laws that prioritize holistic reproductive care is just the latest example. 

 

That's why Black women and working-class people will be hit hardest by laws that seek to control reproductive choices and limit autonomy. Black women continue to have the highest abortion rate, which is nearly 4 times higher than white women.⁵ This is often linked to a lack of access to contraceptive care and increased health risks for both mother and fetus that are associated with living in poverty. Restricting access to abortion denies Black women their right to have all of the necessary tools and resources they need to make educated medical decisions about their bodies. 

 

Bottom line, dear friend : Black women and birthing people bear the brunt of racialized reproductive control, the issue goes much deeper than abortion. But it’s crucial we fight back to maintain our bodily autonomy as we push toward holistic and anti-racist health care and we need your help to do it. 

 

 

 

 

 

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References : 

 

 

 

 

 

1. "Supreme Court to Hear Abortion Case Challenging Roe v. Wade." New York Times. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/307074?t=6&akid=51037%2E1942551%2E29aDb8
2. "Gov. Greg Abbott signs into law one of nation’s strictest abortion measures, banning procedure as early as six weeks into a pregnancy." Texas Tribune. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/307071?t=8&akid=51037%2E1942551%2E29aDb8
3. Ibid. 
4. "Poll : Most Texans support abortion rights." Houston Chronicle. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/307072?t=10&akid=51037%2E1942551%2E29aDb8
5. "Perceiving and Addressing the Pervasive Racial Disparity in Abortion." https://act.colorofchange.org/go/307073?t=12&akid=51037%2E1942551%2E29aDb8

  

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ColorOfChange is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change.