The decision of the United States Supreme Court to abolish the right to abortion in that country not only reopened the debate but also reminded us that acquired and earned rights are not guaranteed. We wanted to take advantage of this involution to offer you several pieces that deal with this topic in different ways that we think you might find interesting.
Table of Contents
“Wrath of Angels: The American Abortion War,” by James Risen and Judy L. Thomas
The 1998 release is a compelling story about the rise and fall of the anti-abortion movement in the USA. Using a human narrative, James Risen and Judy Thomas write about the movement’s crucial role in the Religious Right’s creation. The non-partisan history starts in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with the authors tracing the origin and beginning of an organised movement that eventually led to the famous “Operation Rescue”.
You will see who early activists were and learn more about their connections that influenced the new leadership that believed more in non-violent tactics instead of earlier beliefs. The book chronicles Evangelical Christians’ taking over the cause to dominate the movement, showing predominantly male leaders’ rise and fall. Published when Operation Rescue was disbanded, the book concludes with the recent events affecting the authors’ considerations about reproductive rights.
New Handbook for a Post-Roe America: The Complete Guide to Abortion Legality, Access, and Practical Support by Robin Marty
Robin Marty brings a user-friendly and comprehensive handbook for readers interested in preparing and understanding the looming changes to reproductive rights law. Readers will learn more about the activist and writer’s thoughts about post-Roe America’s worst-case scenarios. They will also find ways to fight back and plan for their emergency, with new chapters covering the tools and needs standing at the disposal of pregnant Americans.
Moreover, the author teaches about acquiring financial support and using existing and creating new networks for the cause. The book is recommended for readers interested in advocating and supporting if Roe is overturned. Finally, this is a valuable resource for answering questions about civil disobedience, obtaining pills, and how to do an MVA.
Reproductive Injustice
Dana-Ain Davis won the 2020 Association of Feminist Anthropology’s Senior Book Prize and the 2020 Society for Medical Anthropology’s Eileen Basker Memorial Prize for this troubling study. She presents the role of medical racism in the lives of black women who gave birth to premature and low birthweight children.
In the well-written and thought-provoking text, the author brings an easy-to-understand yet developed evolution of injustices in the USA’s reproductive systems. Readers will discover the relatively unexamined paradox among women of different educational and socioeconomic strata. Examples of Serena Williams, Shalon Irving, and Kira Dixon Johnson will display the magnitude of the problem in a page-turner and gripping book.
The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade
A deeply moving book by Ann Fessler tells the secret history of more than 1.5 million who were forced to surrender their newborns in decades after World War 2. The author displays devastating double standards and their punishing long-term effects through women’s voices.
Moreover, being an adoptee herself, Fessler interviewed ladies willing to uncover why they had to relinquish their children amid the post-war sexual revolution. A modern reader does not understand circumstances where legal abortion was prohibitively expensive and closely related to tightly restricted birth control. The author focuses on single, middle-class pregnant girls that suffered from their family’s and friends’ shunning, eviction from schools, inadequate doctors’ treatment, and sending away to maternity homes. One of her main characters says they were treated as criminals even though they were only mothers.
The difference is that society never viewed them as “authenticated” but more as illegal and denied mothers. The system made them come home and live their lives after being robbed of their children, making those unwilling mothers accomplices in kidnapping their kids.
Birthing a Movement: Midwives, Law, and the Politics of Reproductive Care
Renée Ann Cramer introduces readers to personal stories about midwives at the forefront of reproductive politics. American midwives experienced a complex regulatory environment that emerged from medical and political intervention into reproductive capacity issues for those who don’t know. Framed by gripping narratives from interviewed midwives, Cramer casts light on the paradoxical priorities the system requests. For example, they need to resist state-centred approaches while seeking formal professionalisation while advocating for reproductive justice.
According to prominent editorial reviews, Cramer integrates rich personal stories, an array of qualitative data, and sophisticated theoretical analysis. The splendid book features a compassionate authorial voice standing as a must-read for social movement scholars. On the other hand, thanks to exquisite writing, Cramer is accessible and relevant to undergraduates. The 288-page book was published in 2021 by Stanford University Press, making it the third piece in the edition written by the prominent Professor of Law, Politics, and Society.
“My Body My Choice: The Fight for Abortion Rights”
Written by Robin Stevenson, a legendary underground feminist, the book about reproductive health care and legal issues captivates with real-life stories of a new generation of creative, courageous, and passionate activists. They oppose intense and often violent supporters of illegitimate abortions, which cause tens of thousands of deaths every year. The book keeps an exciting and dynamic tone while dealing with a heavy and sensitive topic.
Targeting a younger audience, Robin Stevenson comes up with an accessible, empowering, and comprehensive resource acting as a call to action and history. You will find more than engaging content, including charts, text, quotes, images, and maps, that should enter every secondary school library.
Ending
Debates over abortion law in America have never been limited to disputes over medical procedures or federal and state rights issues. Instead, for more than two centuries, narratives have been linked to USA’s concerns about gender, class, race, justice, and religion. Whether or not one would ever have an abortion, each woman can decide about her body. We should control our bodies – what happens, who has access, and what we do with them. Regardless of other people’s decisions, we should respond with love and respect to their decisions. Other media also tackle this critical issue. While reading, you can also listen to Alecia Beth Moore, known by the stage name Pink, who has released a new single, “Irrelevant”, in which she calls people to fight for their rights, answering the current question.
