LIBERATING ABORTION

Two Black journalists share honest stories to break the “abortion stigma.”

Bracey Sherman and Mahone aim to eliminate the shame and blame that still surround the subject of abortion by offering myriad accounts of women who have had abortions and by scouring the historical record. As “two Black women who have had abortions and experienced the anti-Blackness of the ‘pro-life’ movement,” the authors write as a collective “we” as they explain why working for reproductive rights means more than allowing women to decide for themselves if and when to become parents rather than being dictated to by the government or doctors. Reproductive justice, they argue, means equitable access to health care, education, contraception and fertility treatments, gender-affirming care, and abortion for all, not just for those who can afford it. It means proper funding to ensure this access and to feed and house families in need. In the wake of the Supreme Court's recent decision in Dobbs, they note, abortion is further restricted for women of color, while misinformation about it abounds. The authors walk the reader through what exactly an abortion is, whether performed with surgery or medication or “self-managed.” They demonstrate that abortion has roots in American and world history that reach all the way back to ancient Egypt, documenting how providers were gradually demonized over the centuries. They offer stories of people who have worked for reproductive rights over the decades, such as the courageous women of the so-called Jane Collective in Chicago from the late 1960s until abortion became legal in 1973. Despite this necessarily sobering material, their tone is determinedly upbeat, and their informative text will help young women especially to navigate difficult decisions.

An affirmative vision that places abortion within a social justice context, calling for equitable support for all families.