The election of Barack Obama and the rejection of the Christian Right at the polls are important victories for defenders of women's reproductive rights. Yet if the repeated campaigns by the Right to require parental consent for abortion are any indication, the attacks on the reproductive freedom of all women, especially women of color, working class women and immigrants, will continue. Their rights continue to be restricted not just through laws but through the policies and practices of institutions on their communities. Organizations like California Latinas for Reproductive Justice and Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice are organizing among immigrants and communities of color to fight back. In the process, they are creating a new framework for reproductive justice that addresses the intersection of sexism, racism, class, and national oppression. Two leaders in this movement talk with Damon Azali-Rojas.

Discussion Topics: 

2:11: How have California Propositions 73, 85, and 4 regarding parental notification and abortion waiting period fit into the greater national struggle for reproductive rights?

4:28: For states that have approved legislation curtailing reproductive rights such as those outlined in California Propositions 73, 85, and 4, what are some racial implications of these legislative initiatives on communities of color?

9:12: What is reproductive justice vs. reproductive health vs. reproductive rights? What does organizing within the reproductive justice framework achieve?

19:25: How are progressive grassroots organizations such as Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice and California Latinas for Reproductive Justice envisioning long-term strategies in order to build a sustainable power base and a strong reproductive justice movement?

25:05: In what ways will the changing composition of California's Supreme Court potentially impact future dialogues about reproductive justice?