I learned about Loretta J. Ross while reading a book for a birth doula training I'm taking (let me know if you or someone you know is in need of any pregnancy or birth related support!). In an essay by Ross that was about a theoretical framework of reproductive justice, with great history into the movement, I was also moved by her powerful and emotional writing within it, and how she shared her own life story which embodies the need for reproductive justice in America (really exemplifying how the personal truly is political and how we need to hear the stories of real ways people's lives are changed as a result of policies). More on that below, along with her life, her amazing words of wisdom, and some organizations that are important to know about and help support, especially right now!

What is reproductive justice? Well in 1994, Loretta J. Ross, along with 11 other Black women activists, developed this concept that expands "reproductive rights," to include the many factors that impact and shape what choices and rights women have -- from housing security and poverty, to violence-- aspects of life and our culture that don't begin at pregnancy. As she put it (check out the interviews below!), "By splicing together "social justice" and "reproductive rights" we arrived as human rights based framework. Every human has right to not have a child, to have the children they want to have (to have control over conditions of birth, the right to raise children in safe and healthy and environments. This brings in gun violence and safe schools - issues that are nonbiological that do effect reproductive politics. And then was added - bodily autonomy, gender identity, and sexual pleasure. Goes beyond focusing on abortion. It includes everybody."

Ross’ activism and advocacy is also shaped by her experience as a survivor of sexual violence and reproductive injustice. When Ross was 11 years-old, she was raped by a stranger. At 15 years-old, she was a victim of incest by a relative and unable to have an abortion, she gave birth to her son in 1969. As she put it, she went from being a "scared pregnant teenager, to being a teen mom." At 23 years-old, Ross was a victim of forced sterilization, after using Dalkon Shield, an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD). She was one of the first people to win a lawsuit against A.H. Robins Company, the manufacturer of Dalkon Shield. 

In 1996 she created the National Center for Human Rights Education, a training and resource center for grassroots activists aimed at applying a human rights analysis to injustices in the U.S. In January 2005, she became National Coordinator of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective, a growing network of Native American, Latina, African American, Asian American and other women of color groups. SisterSong’s mission is to connect reproductive rights to human rights.

She has co-written three books on reproductive justice: Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organize for Reproductive Justice; Reproductive Justice: An Introduction; and Radical Reproductive Justice: Foundations, Theory, Practice, Critique. Her current book, Calling in the Calling Out Culture