Black Maternal Health: The Landscape and The Legislation We Need
Written by N. Sydney Jemmott, MD, MPH Director of Policy, Reproductive Rights at SIX THE LANDSCAPE When mamas are healthy, their babies are healthy, their partners are healthy, their…
State legislators around the country are advancing reproductive freedom.
Join UsRecent News
Beyond Borders: How the U.S. can learn from the global abortion movement
On January 10-11, 2024, State Innovation Exchange (SIX) partnered with the O’Neill Institute at Georgetown Law to host Beyond Borders, an in-person, 2-day convening on international abortion rights in…
Fractured: Stories From a Post Roe America
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022 and eliminated the right to have an abortion for millions of Americans, state legislators from all 50 states…
Recent Press Hits
“I am not going to wait and see what the court does next, and neither should you.”
Whether Roe stands or falls, Colorado should continue to expand abortion rights
“When I was in my 20s, I had an abortion...I had to drive myself four hours each way. It was shaming, and frankly it was dangerous to get in the car and drive back. No one should have to do that.”
After Nearly a Decade, Montana Lurches Right on Abortion
“This is something we can and must all do for each other. From seeking an abortion or birth control, to running for office, to fighting for our rights over our bodies, we need to find ways to support each other. ”
The future of reproductive freedom is up to us.
“A lot of things we do as lawyers, many lawmakers and even activists is we look for clues. The Supreme Court really gave us a terrible clue of where their interest lies right when they decided not to stop the imposition of [Senate Bill 8].”
Texas has all but banned abortion. But a Mississippi law could be what ends Roe v. Wade.
“The entire overturning of Roe v. Wade removes bodily autonomy, and Black women understand that. We understand the role that this country has played in harms against our bodies — and we understand that we thrive when we are able to decide how we want to parent, when we want to parent, and the communities and structures that need to be around us, for us to parent safely. Our responsibility is really helping legislators understand that point.”
Black women are underserved when it comes to birth control access. The Roe decision could make that worse.
“I just know from being an educator for so long that many kids don’t have access to a family that would provide them with life-saving health information like [LGBTQ+ inclusive sex education].”
The Politics of Sex Ed Leaves A Lot Untaught
“We need people like us in those positions of power, that understand the lived experiences of the community, that feel connected to the day-to-day challenges that people face and their lived realities.”
BGG x SiX Spotlight: NY Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas
“[Anti-abortion legislators] are going to try anything they can to water [abortion protections] down, to weaken them, so that Florida is not going to have a firewall in the face of a SCOTUS decision. ”
Florida Advocates Brace for a Flood of Abortion Patients
“[Abortion care] is not just a matter of what's legal, but what you can afford? Do you have access to providers? Do you have transportation? Do you have insurance that will cover it?”
2021 is a Record-Breaking Year for State Attacks on Abortion. How Are Advocates Fighting Back?
“As Black women we aren’t taken seriously with our health needs, especially when it comes to babies. They lump us all together because they feel like our anatomies are the same, but there are life issues that are different. We come from different backgrounds, and when you come from different backgrounds that should be taken into consideration in your health care.”
Black women are their own heroes in the fight against disproportionate maternal health risks
“It’s time to bridge maternal health care and racial justice to save more Black lives. ”
As a State Lawmaker and Black Woman, I’m Committed to Treating Maternal Justice as Racial Justice
“We’re seen by law enforcement, we’re seen by other elected officials, as vulnerable. But we’re also seen as people who carry respect and support from our communities. When they arrest us, it’s to send a message to our communities that we can come for the very people that you put in offices to speak for you and to be your voice.”
Law enforcement officers keep arresting Black women elected officials
“There’s no way to ban abortion, in this country or anywhere else, without turning women into suspected criminals at every turn of their reproductive choices and outcomes.”
El Salvador's extreme abortion ban imprisons innocent women who suffer miscarriages
“We can’t talk about democracy without talking about voter suppression, without talking about gerrymandering, without talking about how it impacts reproductive health and health care.”
Democracy is More Than the Vote. It's Also Our Health and Reproductive Rights.
“We have to be that change, and we have to take it to the people who are impacted by this, and inspire them, mobilize them, and energize them, and help them to understand that it’s all about serving and doing what you can where you are.”
How Black Women Legislators are Fighting Abortion Bans and Trumpism is State Legislatures
“The parallels between the January 6 and anti-abortion protests are stark. Both groups are fueled by lies and misinformation and use tactics rooted in patriarchal and white supremacist ideas about who is and is not worthy of having their voices heard or needs met. Both groups aimed to harm and traumatize the people with whom they disagreed through violent rhetoric and actions. Were the two groups a Venn Diagram, it would likely look like a circle.””
Feminists React: 48 Years After Roe v. Wade, What’s Next?
“We must remain focused and remember that there are few issues more fundamental to our rights and more entwined with our economy and community than reproductive freedom.”
Why I will fight for reproductive freedom in the 2021 General Assembly
“As we prepare for the frightening possibility of a far right-leaning United States Supreme Court, the Reproductive Freedom Act reinforces that the New Jersey Constitution protects the right to abortion and reproductive autonomy.”
We must protect reproductive freedom in New Jersey
““My hope is that our courage to talk about [forced parental consent] inspires those of a more senior generation to understand that our values are the same, and it’s okay to be out loud about it.””
Many Abortion Clinics May Not Survive COVID-19 Unless Progressives Take Bolder Action
“I urge my colleagues to remember the diversity of reproductive needs Tennessee women face and that we come together to find ways to offer more health care and support to women and families not less.”
Tennessee's Women Need Full Range of Reproductive Options Even During COVID-19
“Research shows that states with the most abortion restrictions have fewer supportive policies in place for women and families.”
No One Has the Right to Tell You What to Do With Your Body — Including the State of Louisiana
“Ninety-five percent of counties in Georgia lack an abortion provider, compared with 90 percent of all US counties, all while the state requires mandatory waiting periods and counseling, restricts insurance coverage of abortion care, and also restricts abortion throughout pregnancy.”
One Year After Georgia’s Abortion Ban, the Supreme Court Tackles Crisis of Access
“Democracy and reproductive freedom go hand in hand. At their most fundamental levels, both concepts involve the autonomy and freedom to determine one’s destiny through exercising choice.”
Six for SiX Spotlight: State Representative Fentrice Driskell (FL)
