Race, Healing & Joy
Our Call to Action
In less than one year, we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of RJ. The nation has the opportunity to reflect on the individual, organizational, sectoral, and philanthropic contributions that have led to the advancement of the RJ framework and true empowerment of Black RJ leaders, movement organizers, practitioners, advocates, and activists doing critical and necessary work for all. As we prepare for this milestone anniversary, we come together to reflect, celebrate, and (re)discover the ways in which we can individually and collectively uplift this dynamic movement.
Who We Are & Why We’re Here
We are organizers, academics, practitioners, researchers, and advocates who recognize the right of every person to reproductive justice (RJ). We acknowledge the racialized history of reproductive oppression, which has disproportionately impacted marginalized communities. We uplift and center the voices of the Black activists and leaders who work tirelessly to improve the lives of those most directly impacted. We are committed to advocating for, supporting, and offering guidance about collective action that (re)authenticates Black sovereignty and transforms the RJ ecosystem into one that promotes sustainable healing and joy for a movement deserving of true reverence and celebration.
Race, Healing, and Joy: Centering Black Reproductive Justice Leadership Report
Black bodies have been exploited for experimentation for hundreds of years under the guise of advancing medicine and society at large. Nearly 30 years after the coining of the term “reproductive justice,” Black-led organizations and individual leaders continue to move forward the mission of RJ by undertaking notable efforts aimed at developing sustainable change for Black communities. In a post-Dobbs era, centering reproductive justice (RJ) and acknowledging the historical events that shaped this framework are crucial for fostering accountability and responsiveness among funders and for building upon visionary leaders’ contributions to the movement.
Building upon research conducted by KHA, this study daylights the current realities of Black RJ leaders while acknowledging the racialized history of the movement. Actionable recommendations are provided to illustrate the path forward in reauthenticating Black leadership in RJ while centering healing and joy. These recommendations serve as an invitation to stand behind Black RJ leaders for funders, organization leaders, and those whose work intersects with RJ.