Justice Above All
The Thurgood Marshall Institute at the Legal Defense Fund brings you Justice Above All, a quarterly series about the evolution of, and continued need for, racial justice advocacy. We’ve entered a time where many of the building blocks underpinning our work for racial justice are being questioned or actively undermined. Justice Above All provides an accessible way to help inform the national debate, revive our history, and remember how far we still must go in our quest to realize the ideals for which Thurgood Marshall and the advocates he led fought.
Justice Above All
How does criminalizing abortion hurt Black communities?
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In 2022, the Supreme Court reversed decades of precedent in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The decision held that the Constitution of the United States does not confer a right to abortion and that the authority to regulate abortions rests with states. While the long-term ramifications of overturning the right to an abortion are unknown, Dobbs immediately triggered states’ existing laws banning abortion and prompted several states to enact laws that would eliminate or restrict access to abortion. As abortion bans spread across the country and prosecutors become more emboldened, Black pregnant people will continue to face a heavier burden of criminalization. Joined by public health, medical, and legal experts, this episode of Justice Above All, hosted by Dr. Sandhya Kajeepeta, explores the history of how pregnant Black people have been criminalized and the far-reaching consequences after the reversal of Roe v. Wade (1973).
Guests:
- Dr. Regina Davis Moss, In Our Own Voice
- Dr. Joia Crear-Perry, National Birth Equity Collaborative
- Pilar Whitaker, Legal Defense Fund
Produced by: Keecee DeVenny, Jackie O'Neil, Sandhya Kajeepeta
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