POLITICS + WOMANISM
Will Black Men Support Our Right To Choose? Let’s Unpack This
The history of eugenics and misogynoir make a devastating pair
Last night, I dropped into the Clubhouse app. The first room that popped up read “Is Abortion Murder?” Still reeling after the news in Texas, I decided to listen. Quickly, I realized that men and a few close-your-legs-Susans were actively debating a woman’s right to choose. But their jargon seemed pretty one-sided.
First, they debated the utility of human life, insisting that since all babies have the potential for joy, all women should carry their babies to term. But you know what, they did not consider the merits of the mother having rights or her life having utility.
In 2021, I feel the parallels between our nation and Gilead from The Handmaid’s Tale have come into focus. The Texas Legislature just passed the most restrictive abortion law since the Supreme Court protected women’s rights through Roe v. Wade. To add insult to injury, religious architects of the bill provided no exception for babies conceived through incest or rape.
Yet, the moderating men on Clubhouse forbid incest or rape from being part of the conversation. They also said that no one could mention any medical reason why a woman would…
