African American Women and Abortion
"Young, poor, and minority women either gave birth or chose to abort themselves when they could find no other alternative." Nelson, Jennifer.
"Ten years ago, I had an illegal abortion at 17 years old. I'm not going into the gory details; it was an illegal thing. Today, I would not want a child, but if I were to become pregnant, I would not be covered by the law, and I wouldn't be covered by the reforms. I'm not insane, I'm not physically damaged. But I'm poor, I don't have the money, I would have to find a quack somewhere. Men have no right to decide these questions." Nelson, Jennifer 32.
"Ten years ago, I had an illegal abortion at 17 years old. I'm not going into the gory details; it was an illegal thing. Today, I would not want a child, but if I were to become pregnant, I would not be covered by the law, and I wouldn't be covered by the reforms. I'm not insane, I'm not physically damaged. But I'm poor, I don't have the money, I would have to find a quack somewhere. Men have no right to decide these questions." Nelson, Jennifer 32.
- Many African American women were discouraged by African American men to get abortions out of fear that it was a plan for genocide.
- They chose to take action themselves in opposition to having the baby or paying a visit to a crooked doctor. Most legal abortions costs far too much for a poor woman. Few African American women were able to actually access physicians because of the fact that they were a minority.
Risk Taking
- Black women were often afraid to permit any kind of necessary surgery because they were afraid of the uneducated abortionists cutting the wrong organ and they often would. In some cases, doctors would perform risky procedures as a form of practice or because they weren't as concerned about the health of a Black woman the way that they would be for a white woman. Many African American women who had unwanted pregnancies would have to decide whether to attempt aborting themselves and possible death or going to an untrustworthy uncertified abortionist. White and middle-class women were more likely to have therapeutic abortions and have committees bend the rules. Usually hospitals would limit the abortion limits out of fear of gaining the title of an abortion mill.
Feminists Organizations for reproductive rights
- Red Stockings- Gained a lot of publicity because of their aggressiveness during protests. They wanted abortion to be viewed in the perspective of all women, poor, rich, black or white. This group of women not only helped women receive abortion rights but they also helped African American women to get equal and fair treatment during their abortions. "Redstockings argued that only by addressing women's oppression at it's roots-in the family, in regards to women's bodies, and in regards to women's control over their reproduction-could feminists begin to eradicate sexism in the public sphere, the workplace, schools, the media, etc." Nelson, Jennifer
Birth Control
- During the 90's 24 percent of Black women had been sterilized while only 17 percent of white women had undergone the operation.
- One study showed that 9.7 percent of college-educated Black women had been sterilized, while only 5.6 percent of college-educated white women had been.
- "Although sterilization is the leading method of birth control in the United States, its use is especially widespread among Black women". Roberts, Dorothy 97.
- The Black Panthers stated that “Birth control is nothing more than part and parcel of the anti-human practices of the fascist racist and U.S. government and their genocidal war effort.”
"Black people were suspicious of white-controlled birth control programs from the very beginning, and white-controlled programs had no intention of allowing Black people to take the reins" Roberts, Dorothy 78.
"It is amazing how effective governments- especially our own- are at making sterilization and contraceptives available to women of color, despite their inability to reach women with prenatal care, drug treatment, and other health services." Roberts, Dorothy 95.
Norplant- soon became the punishment for women who endangered their babies by using drugs or abusing them. Norplant was a sterilizer created by the government that was viewed as preventing these women from having children for five years, or however long their sentence was. "Norplant will prevent a child abuser like Darlene Johnson from hurting children she might have until she learns to be a better parent." Roberts, Dorothy 196.
Timeline
1972- Students from Boston City Hospital told Boston Globe newsletter about the unnecessary hysterectomy's being performed on black patients resulting in a front page story.
1973- The Relf sisters, ages 12 and 14, had been declared mentally incompetent by an Alabama physician who subsequently sterilized them using Federal funds to pay for the procedures. Their mother, who could not read or write, had been deceived into signing her “x” on the consent forms.
1973- Roe v. Wade decision is made finally legalizing abortion.
1973- Dr. Bernard Rosenfeld's study showed to the public that some doctors were sterling black women without their consent to it. The doctors did not inform them of other birth control methods. "The majority of these women signed a medical consent form, not to be sterilized but rather placing their faith in the doctor to discover and rectify the so-called trouble."
1975- Hysterectomy was $800 when a tubal ligation was $250. To make more money from Medicaid doctors would choose to go with Hysterectomy even though it was 20 times more likely to take the woman's life.
1985- The number of drug exposed babies nearly quadrupled in Urban hospitals. "I think the public is concerned about children who, no fault of their own ... are born addicted." Roberts, Dorothy 168.
1992- 28 year old Cornelia Whitner was an African American woman arrested and charged with endangering the life of her unborn child by smoking crack while pregnant. Though the baby was fine and her lawyer proved she had not used drugs during the birth, she was still sentenced to eight years in prison.
1973- The Relf sisters, ages 12 and 14, had been declared mentally incompetent by an Alabama physician who subsequently sterilized them using Federal funds to pay for the procedures. Their mother, who could not read or write, had been deceived into signing her “x” on the consent forms.
1973- Roe v. Wade decision is made finally legalizing abortion.
1973- Dr. Bernard Rosenfeld's study showed to the public that some doctors were sterling black women without their consent to it. The doctors did not inform them of other birth control methods. "The majority of these women signed a medical consent form, not to be sterilized but rather placing their faith in the doctor to discover and rectify the so-called trouble."
1975- Hysterectomy was $800 when a tubal ligation was $250. To make more money from Medicaid doctors would choose to go with Hysterectomy even though it was 20 times more likely to take the woman's life.
1985- The number of drug exposed babies nearly quadrupled in Urban hospitals. "I think the public is concerned about children who, no fault of their own ... are born addicted." Roberts, Dorothy 168.
1992- 28 year old Cornelia Whitner was an African American woman arrested and charged with endangering the life of her unborn child by smoking crack while pregnant. Though the baby was fine and her lawyer proved she had not used drugs during the birth, she was still sentenced to eight years in prison.
"The major goal of some welfare reformers is to reduce the number of children born to women receiving public assistance" Roberts, Dorothy 209.
"Think of the worst experience you've ever had with a clerk in some government service job- motor vehicles, hospital, whatever- and add the life-threatening condition if impending starvation or homelessness to the waiting line, multiply the anxiety by an exponent of ten.. and you have some idea of what it's like in a welfare center."- Theresa Funiciello
"Think of the worst experience you've ever had with a clerk in some government service job- motor vehicles, hospital, whatever- and add the life-threatening condition if impending starvation or homelessness to the waiting line, multiply the anxiety by an exponent of ten.. and you have some idea of what it's like in a welfare center."- Theresa Funiciello
Notable Black Women
Byllye Avery -founder of the National Black Women’s Health Project, now the Black Women’s Health Imperative, and contributor to The New Our Bodies Ourselves.
Dr. Dorothy Brown -first Black woman general surgeon in the US. As a Tennessee state legislator, she was the first state representative to introduce a bill that would legalize abortion.