Abortion and Reproductive Justice

A bold call to action and guide for building an inclusive and intersectional reproductive justice movement.

Overturning Roe unleashed a wave of urgent threats to abortion and bodily autonomy, fueled by overt white supremacy, racial and anti-immigrant hatred, and support for traditional gender roles and sexual identities. But the resistance is fierce, led by a new generation of activists of color dedicated to building an inclusive movement. In Abortion and Reproductive Justice, widely recognized movement leaders Marlene Gerber Fried and Loretta J. Ross provide a history of abortion politics through a reproductive justice framework that centers those most vulnerable.

The book emphasizes that the right to have and raise children is as important for reproductive choice as the right not to. This critical approach—originating in Black feminism—provides grounding for radical abortion advocacy. Calling on us to join in, the book highlights abortion stories from individuals and organizations who are putting this analysis into action on the front lines, in the United States and beyond. By linking abortion rights to broader social justice initiatives, including Black Lives Matter, immigrant and refugee rights, disability justice, and LGBTQ+ rights, the authors expand the conversation at a critical moment.

About the Author

Marlene Gerber Fried is Professor Emerita of Philosophy at Hampshire College and cofounder of the National Network of Abortion Funds.

Loretta J. Ross is a MacArthur Fellow, Associate Professor of Women and Gender at Smith College, and cofounder of SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective. They are coauthors, with Jael Silliman and Elena Gutierrez, of Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organize for Reproductive Justice.