It’s a memory that Americans will never forget, the day Politico published the Dobbs-v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization majority opinions. The Supreme Court ruled that abortion was not a constitutional right and returned the power to regulate abortion to the States on June 24, 2022. Since then, abortion is illegal in at least 13 US states. There are no exceptions for incest or rape. These states have concerns that Roe v Wade will not be implemented in order to protect a specific population: Black Americans.
Moderator Dacia Russell Gomen, MD, JD’05, FAAEM (top left), began a virtual discussion with the Stanford Law School Black Alumni Association and Stanford Center for Racial Justice. She cited “shocking disparities in Black reproductive health” from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Russell Gomen stated that Black women are three to four-times more likely to die in pregnancy than white women, even after controlling for socioeconomic status, body mass, education, and other factors. The conversation was then opened to three distinguished panelists: Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-IL), Michele Goodwin (Chancellor’s Professor of law at the University of California Irvine) and Christine Slaughter (Assistant Professor of Political Science, Boston University).
Goodwin focused her answer on the origin stories behind the state and federal laws that made Black women “reproductive chattel”, in the early U.S colonies. Goodwin highlighted Margaret Garner’s story, a woman enslaved who murdered her own children to escape the horrors and cruelty of slavery. She pointed out that similar stories such as Garner’s have influenced America’s relationship with Black mothers and the law.
Based on her advocacy for legislation to expand access to maternal health care for Black mothers (Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act 2021), Congresswoman Underwood provided a policy definition. The current policy environment is one of both progress and regression, she said. This was due to the Dobbs decision highlighting the Black maternal health crisis. She urged us to make an important decision for Black reproductive health.
Slaughter said that Black women and Black mothers’ health are interrelated and that policy has a significant impact on Black maternal health. She agreed with Congresswoman Underwood that Black women must vote for policies that will protect them and those that will harm them.
All three panelists discussed the many environmental, legal, political, economic, and social factors that contribute to the current disparities in Black Americans’ reproductive health. The experts discussed pre- and post-pregnancy reproductive health issues like access to clinics, sexual education, contraception, maternal mortality, and other areas that can cause long-lasting health problems among Black Americans.
These women have written, analyzed and published some of the most important policies in Black reproductive health. However, panelists concluded by reminding the audience that personal stories are powerful in discussions about Black reproductive health.
Underwood, a congresswoman, referred to “Aftershock”, and asked for non-birthing people’s support for better maternal health policies. Slaughter stressed the importance of intergenerational communication so that birthing stories can change the future of Black reproductive healthcare. Goodwin also stated that Black reproductive policy issues must be communicated in a language that is understandable by voters. This is especially important as the courts continue to suppress and deprive Black voters of their rights.
Each expert urged attendees to take part in local elections after their Q&A. “All elections are important,” Congresswoman Underwood stated, particularly as federal and state legislatures present bills that restrict and expand reproductive health.
The experts expressed their gratitude to one another for their diligence and work in highlighting these issues. They also displayed a warmth that was paradoxical given the seriousness of the threat. This was a crucial reminder to all panelists that “the personal is politically” serves as an appeal for action greater than oneself.