In 1994, Black women coined the term “reproductive justice” as a way to fold their lived experiences and intersections of identity into a framework for justice, not just abortion access. Without Black women, there would be no Reproductive Justice movement, no lens through which to examine the deep connections between reproductive rights and broader systems of oppression.

Reproductive Justice history is Black history. As we honor Black History Month, we must recognize the Black activists and organizations that have built and continue to shape the reproductive justice movement today.

As stated by SisterSong, the reproductive justice movement has 4 foundational pillars:

• The human right to own our bodies and control our future.
• The human right to have children.
• The human right not to have children.
• The human right to parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.

Black-Led Organizations

We are grateful for the ongoing efforts Black-led organizations are doing to improve reproductive healthcare and outcomes for Black birthing people while ensuring that Black communities have the resources and support needed to thrive at every stage of life, including but not limited to:

• SisterSong is the largest national multi-ethnic reproductive justice collective. They aim to amplify the voices of Indigenous women and women of color to win access to abortion and reproductive rights.
• Black Mamas Matter Alliance serves as a national entity working to advance black maternal health, rights, and justice, and uplifts the work of locally based, black women-led maternal health initiatives and organizations.
• New Voices for Reproductive Justice is an unapologetically Black and queer-led movement organization, dedicated to advancing reproductive justice.
• The AFIYA Center serves Black women and girls by transforming their relationship with their sexual and reproductive health in Texas.
• National Black Midwives Alliance aims to increase the number of Black midwives and access to Black midwives so that there are more providers who can impact perinatal health disparities.
• Birth in Color offers community based doula training. Through community events, workshops, and policy efforts, it is working to redefine what maternal health means for families of color.
• Southern Birth Justice Network strives to make midwifery and doula care accessible to all birthing people, especially POC and LGBTQ+ communities. They offer Birth Justice Doula certifications that focus on building skills in full spectrum perinatal support, health and power disparities and advocacy.

Maternal Mortality and Reproductive Care

Students entering the healthcare field have a role to play in addressing the inequities that Black patients face when seeking reproductive care. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. MSFC provides Event Resources for hosting a discussion on maternal mortality where medical students can discuss both how access to safe, legal abortion is linked to a decline in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR), and how worldwide disparities create drastically different outcomes for patients of different nationalities; as well as patients of different economic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds.

Through training, workshops, and advocacy, MSFC supports medical students committed to fighting these barriers in patient care. We encourage our supporters to learn from and uplift the Black-led organizations that are driving change in reproductive healthcare. Here’s how you can help:

1. Support Black-Led Organizations: Stay current with groups like SisterSong, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, and others leading this work and efforts made in reproductive health.
2. Advocate for Policy Change: Support policies addressing racial disparities in maternal and reproductive health care.
3. If you are a medical student, get involved in MSFC’s efforts to ensure future physicians are trained to provide comprehensive reproductive care.

With access to reproductive health care under constant attack, one of the most powerful things we can do is help ourselves and our community with how to advocate effectively.

Our community’s commitment to reproductive freedom can be never taken away. We are here to support the next generation of providers with the knowledge and skills to deliver compassionate, patient-centered care that acknowledges the systemic factors at play.