Two Years After Roe’s Collapse, Black Americans Still Need More Than Making It Law

Dr. Regina Davis Moss, President and CEO of In Our Own Voice, released the following statement marking the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated the federal right to abortion:

“Barriers to accessing abortion care for Black women, girls and gender-expansive people have grown even more daunting since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, exposing the fact that Roe has never been enough to secure full reproductive autonomy for our communities. The majority of Black women of reproductive age in the United States now live in states that have both banned or are likely to ban abortion, and we are some of the hardest hit by policies that seek to control our reproductive futures. Over the past two years we have seen Black women targeted by law enforcement for pregnancy loss, persistent racial disparities in maternal health outcomes for Black mothers, and skyrocketing costs of accessing abortion care due to state abortion bans. According to In Our Own Voice’s polling, approximately 40 percent of Black women of reproductive age feel less safe and are less sure about whether to have children because of abortion bans. Everyone should be able make their own decisions about pregnancy and health care without the fear of government interference.

“This year’s elections provide another opportunity to make clear to the Supreme Court and anti-abortion politicians that they have no right to impose their ideological beliefs on our bodies and our lives. The devastating loss of Roe has motivated even more Black voters to elect candidates who support abortion access and are committed to implementing pro-Reproductive Justice policies. At In Our Own Voice, we are determined to continue highlighting the importance of making our voices heard at the polls in a post-Roe world and advocating for policies that go beyond Roe to ensure that we can all make our own decisions about if, when and how to grow our families in safe, healthy environments.”

Marking the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs decision, In Our Own Voice and other leading reproductive health, rights and justice organizations have unveiled the ‘Abortion Access Now’ campaign, pledging a $100 million investment to advance abortion rights and access. Visit www.AbortionAccessNowCampaign.org for more information.

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In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national-state partnership focused on lifting up the voices of Black women leaders at the national and regional levels in our fight to secure Reproductive Justice for all women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals. Our eight strategic partners are 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.