Unitarian Universalist FaithAction NJ
A Unitarian Universalist voice for justice, equity and compassion in NJ
A woman’s right to choose soars in a tapestry of 12 powerful ‘shorts’ — serious and comic. These are stories from the heart: humorous and tender; poignant and riveting; from theater, spoken word, comedy poetry, oral history and journalism. Smart, funny, endangered!
Speaker: Dr. Lynn Roberts, editor, “Radical Reproductive Justice”
Film showing
We hope you will scan through the article titles and short descriptions, following the links to go deeper on a subject that catches your eye.
Come learn about the persistent injustices women face in the New Jersey prison system. Joining this panel discussion will be returning citizens, Nafeesah Goldsmith and Ivelisse Gilestra, and NJ prisons researcher and activist, Prof. Johanna Foster (Monmouth University) and Prof. Joanna Christen (Rutgers).
Convenors: Reproductive Justice and Criminal Justice Task Force chairs.
Things every UU should know about reproductive justice
Two Things Every UU Should Know About Reproductive Justice
1. “Reproductive justice” has a broad agenda, and is different than “reproductive rights”.
The understanding of reproductive justice has evolved over time, and there is no universally accepted definition. However, all definitions recognize that the need for access to resources goes far beyond abortion alone. These four principles are accepted by many as representative:
Notably, reproductive justice is not simply a different phrase that is interchangeable with reproductive health or reproductive rights, and nor is it intended to replace these concepts. Instead, reproductive justice is a framework created by women of color that combines the fields of reproductive rights, social justice, and human rights. It is grounded in the particular experiences, values, priorities, and leadership of women of color.
2. Reproductive justice has a different approach.
It’s not enough to focus on reaching a set of end goals through any means possible. Instead, our approach must reflect the world we are trying to create. This includes:
Constantly talking about the impact our personal identities (including race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, wealth, etc) have on our viewpoints and actions. In order to successfully change the culture, we must be open to growth and change ourselves.
Centering the marginalized. Changing structures of power means that leadership must come from the groups most affected by the denial of access to rights and resources, including women and people of color, people struggling to make ends meet, and young people.
Intersectionality. The work must be intersectional, which means engaging multiple identities and building coalitions rather than trying to keep people and issues confined in separate boxes. Changing structures of power requires that we view identities as linked and formulate solutions that are based on collaboration and solidarity.
For people who support reproductive justice and are not already familiar with the framework, it is sometimes challenging but always important to seek relationships of accountability and leadership with women of color and organizations they lead. This is critical because it helps to avoid misappropriation, where people are claiming to do reproductive justice work without knowing what it means and without being accountable to the experiences and leadership of women of color.
