From Roe to Woe: The Impact of Reproductive Laws on Black Women in the U.S.

Abstract

This thesis analyses the impact of the recent legislation on reproductive rights and access has on Black women, specifically after the Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Black women in the U.S. already experience the effects of systemic racism within their everyday lives, whether it is noticeable or not, and this development within the field of reproductive rights stands to impact them disproportionately compared to their White counterparts. The research is conducted through looking at events and legislation changes taking place in Texas and Michigan, two states whose response to the overruling of Roe has been very different. The various lenses, including intersectionality, systemic oppression, Black feminism, bodily autonomy, and critical race theory, will be used to better understand the cases, and their impact, in the evaluation chapter of the thesis. The analysis highlights how the combination of race, gender, and class intersect to create unique challenges for Black women in the U.S. and sheds light on how these laws and statutes disproportionately impact them. The ultimate question of the thesis is, “to what extent have systems of oppression, such as racism, sexism, and classism, infringed on the modern Black woman’s access and control to their sexual and reproductive health rights, with a specific focus on the implications of Dobbs v. Jackson?” The thesis proposes that the overturning of Roe v. Wade has contributed to the oppression of Black women through restricting access to reproductive healthcare services and rights, including abortion, and the economic consequences for Black women.