What is reproductive justice?
History of RJ
Reproductive Justice (RJ) was created in 1994 by a caucus of visionary Black women who were frustrated by the shortcomings of the "pro-choice" movement to address the stark differences in reproductive health outcomes and options for Black Women and Women of Color. The "pro-choice" movement failed to capture lived experiences of reproductive oppression in failing to recognize that reproductive freedom is bigger than mere legal access to abortion.
The Founding Mothers of the RJ Movement related issues of bodily autonomy and reproductive decision-making to basic human rights, tying our ability to make reproductive life 'choices' to the conditions in which we live and make decisions.
They took out a full-page ad in the Washington Post , “Black Women and Health Care Reform” with signatures from 836 Black women. This ad and the following press conference on Capitol Hill marked the beginning of the RJ Movement.
Founding Mothers of RJ
