Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude

reproductive health

Culture, Health

Black Maternal Health Disparities Don’t Discriminate

Alarming statistics prove neither income nor education level can guarantee an event-free pregnancy.

By

Keith Reed

Published

March 7, 2023
Criminal Justice, News, Reproductive Justice

National Network of Abortion Funds Leader Breaks Down Reproductive Justice

Root 100 honoree and NNAF Executive Director Oriaku Njoku explains what reproductive justice means, and why Black women came up with it in the first place.

By

Jessica Washington

Published

December 26, 2022
Criminal Justice, News, Reproductive Justice

UN Committee Argues That US Abortion Restrictions are a Form of Racial Discrimination

On Tuesday, the committee expressed its concerns about the impact of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision on racial minorities.

By

Jessica Washington

Published

September 2, 2022
Criminal Justice, Reproductive Justice

Black Women Bear the Brunt of Criminalized Pregnancy and Motherhood. Here’s Why We Can’t Afford to Ignore It

No one should be forced to undergo the threat of arrest and incarceration because of any pregnancy outcome.

By

Color Of Change

Published

July 16, 2021
Beauty + Style

In Spite of Awareness and Legislative Efforts, New Data Indicates the Black Maternal Health Crisis Isn't Improving

As we’ve reported numerous times over the past several years, giving birth in the United States remains a dangerous proposition, as pregnant or birthing women are more than twice as likely to die from complications than in most other high-income countries in the world. For Black women, the risks are even higher; new data from…

By

Maiysha Kai

Published

May 21, 2021
Beauty + Style

Our Black Maternal Health Crisis Is a Racial Justice Issue That Demands Bold Solutions

Black Mamas Matter. They are the backbone of our families and our communities. And in a political moment where many are giving Black women flowers for their social and political contributions, it’s long past time to speak plainly about the threats we face. This Black Maternal Health Week, we are reminded that Black women continue…

By

Genetta M. Adams

Published

April 16, 2021
Politics

‘Hyde’s Days Are Numbered’: Reps. Pressley, Lee, and AOC Vow to Repeal Law That Restricts Abortions for Low-Income Women

On the 43rd anniversary of the passage of the Hyde Amendment, a key piece of legislation that restricts abortion rights for Medicaid recipients, Representatives Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) have announced the law’s days are numbered. In a video shared exclusively with The Root, the congresswomen condemn the “egregious policy…

By

Anne Branigin

Published

September 30, 2019
Criminal Justice, News, Reproductive Justice

The War on Women

The Trump administration is waging a war on women. For too long, women’s voices have been dismissed when it comes to our reproductive freedom and we must fight back. Reproductive justice has been one of my top priorities for decades, from when I first began my journey on the Hill as a staffer to now…

By

Monique Judge

Published

June 19, 2019
Criminal Justice, News, Reproductive Justice

God's Property: Florida Lawmaker Says God Told Him to Reintroduce Anti-Abortion Bill Modeled After Alabama's

Since passing its anti-abortion law—a law so reprehensible that cities like Los Angeles have subsequently banned travel to the state—Alabama has become the bane of the entire universe. Not to be outdone, the Pensacola News Journal reports that a Florida lawmaker is so impressed by Alabama’s commitment to punishing women for owning ovaries that he’s…

By

Jay Connor

Published

May 24, 2019
Culture, Health

Kamala Harris Reintroduces Bill Addressing the Black Maternal Healthcare Crisis

U.S. Senator Kamala Harris reintroduced the Maternal Care Access and Reducing Emergencies (Maternal CARE) Act on Wednesday, her 2018 bill that seeks to address the ongoing black maternal health crisis. “Black mothers across the country are facing a health crisis that is driven in part by implicit bias in our health care system. We must…

By

Jay Connor

Published

May 22, 2019