Black women applaud executive order, pledge to vote for Reproductive Justice

Statement from In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda

WASHINGTON — Today, President Biden issued an executive order to protect reproductive rights in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. Marcela Howell, president and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, issued the following statement in response:

“We commend President Biden for taking action to protect access to reproductive health services, including abortion and birth control. His executive order is a step in the right direction — but more work must be done. Opponents of reproductive rights are promising to pass a federal abortion ban on abortion and threatening our access to birth control. Across the country, we face attacks on our most basic civil and human rights — threatening our bodily autonomy and our voting rights as citizens.

“We know the attacks won’t stop at abortion and birth control; they are coming for every one of Black women’s civil and human rights. We are ready for the fight.

“Our courts have failed us, time and time again. Only our votes can protect us now. Black women are doubling down and organizing to turn out Black women voters in unprecedented numbers.

“In Our Own Voice is scaling up our ‘I Am A Voter’ campaign to register and educate Black voters. We will work and fight to ensure that every Black voter casts their vote — and that every vote is counted. We will not stop until Reproductive Justice is the law of the land.”

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In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national reproductive justice organization focused on lifting the voices of Black women at the national and regional levels in our ongoing policy fight to secure reproductive justice for all women and girls. Our eight strategic partners include Black Women for Wellness, Black Women’s Health Imperative, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, SisterLove, Inc. SisterReach, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW, The Afiya Center and Women With A Vision.