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The Reproductive Justice Activist Fighting for Black and Brown Women
An interview with Renee Bracey Sherman on abortion storytelling and the sanctity of our bodies
With Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s recent passing and President Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to replace her, the Supreme Court could be weeks away from transforming into a solidly conservative judicial body. Reproductive rights hang in the balance. We have never needed activist Renee Bracey Sherman and her work more.
Bracey Sherman had an abortion at age 19. Aside from her partner, she told no one until several years later. When she finally did, she felt empowered, loved, and embraced. She wanted other people who had abortions to feel this way, too.
Soon thereafter, Bracey Sherman discovered “reproductive justice,” a movement started in 1994 by a group of Black women who saw the need to expand pro-choice activism to something more inclusive and intersectional in order to address the myriad cultural and institutional forces that affect Black women’s bodily autonomy. After a move from the Bay Area to Washington, D.C., Bracey Sherman founded We Testify, an organization that represents, nurtures, and features the stories of Black and Brown folks who’ve had abortions.
