August 26, 2022

History Matters: Understanding Abortion Rights in the U.S. and What Comes Next

1 hour

In this episode, we are live with the National Women’s History Museum for an incredibly important episode addressing reproductive health rights and justice from a historical point of view. In the wake of the overturn of Roe, we've seen horrific cases: a 10-year-old girl fleeing the state of Ohio to get to Indiana in order to terminate a pregnancy after rape; a Wisconsin woman bleeding for more than 10 days with an incomplete miscarriage before doctors could provide her the standard medical treatment; and so much more. The political situation that’s led to these cases becoming commonplace has deep roots in America’s history of slavery, reproductive restrictions, and controlling women’s bodies. So, how did we get here?

We're unpacking the historical events that led us to the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, and examining how the Supreme Court failed in its analysis and recounting of America’s history around reproductive health, rights, and justice.

Joining us for this special event are:

Professor Mary Ziegler is a professor of law at the UC Davis School of Law, as well as one of the world’s leading historians of the U.S. abortion debate. Ziegler is also the author of Abortion and the Law in America: A Legal History, as well as the recently released Dollars for Life: The Antiabortion Movement and the Fall of the Republican Establishment.

Professor Sarah Dubow is a professor of history at Williams College and author of the award-winning book, Ourselves Unborn: A History of the Fetus in Modern America.

Professor Deborah White is the board of governors professor of History and professor of Women and Gender Studies at Rutgers University. She’s also the author of Ar'n't I a Woman? Female Slaves in the Plantation South.

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Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.