WATCH OUR RECENT ABORTION ACCESS BRIEFING

On December 1, the Supreme Court will hear what stands to be the most consequential abortion case in a generation—the state of Mississippi has asked the Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and end the constitutional right to abortion. Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization will be the first time since 1973—the year Roe was decided—that the Court will rule on a pre-viability abortion ban.

If Roe is overtuned, 26 states are likely to ban abortion. And in Texas, Senate Bill 8 went into effect in September, effectively eliminating nearly all abortion care in the state.

Against this dire backdrop, what does the fight for reproductive freedom look like in 2022 and beyond? At The Meteor’s recent event Roe on the Line: An Abortion Access Briefing, held in partnership with the United State of Women, we heard from legal experts and grassroots organizers about the road ahead, including:

  • Michelle Colón, co-founder and executive director, SHERo Mississippi
  • Julie F. Kay, human rights attorney and co-author of Controlling Women: What We Must Do Now to Save Reproductive Freedom
  • Mini Timmaraju, president, NARAL Pro-Choice America
  • Moderator Susie Banikarim, founding member of The Meteor and award-winning journalist, director, producer, and media strategist

You can watch the workshop here—and sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop about upcoming events.

HIGHLIGHTS

On the future of abortion access:
“What we’ve seen so far…is that the restrictions on abortion right now in this country hit very hard against women who live in rural areas, women who are low income, teenagers, and overwhelmingly and disproportionately impact women of color in this country…When the court comes out with its decision, probably in June of 2022, it’s not going to be good. And it may leave a facade up there, but I think it’s really going to show us that they are not respecting that there’s a federal right. And they’re going to turn it back over to the states.”—Julie F. Kay, human rights attorney and co-author of Controlling Women: What We Must Do Now to Save Reproductive Freedom

On what it looks like on the ground in Mississippi:
“I’ll never stop helping anyone access a safe abortion, regardless of what the court says.”—Michelle Colón, co-founder and executive director, SHERo Mississippi

On how we got here:
“It’s very hard to organize when you are in the position of apparently being in the majority. We know seven out of 10 Americans support abortion rights. We know that access has been—at least from the narrative, public perception—constitutionally guaranteed. But we’ve also known since 1973, there have been incredible restrictions on access, and effectively without access, you’re denying constitutional rights.”—Mini Timmaraju, president, NARAL Pro-Choice America

Don’t miss the takeaways from earlier workshops—One Year Till the Midterms: A Voting Rights Briefing, After Texas: The Fight for Abortion Access, Reproductive Rights and Justice: What’s Ahead in 2021, and Justice for Mothers This Year: The “Momnibus” and More Ways to Make Change Happen.

SPEAKERS

Michelle Colón

As a lifelong grass roots, social justice activist, and organizer, Michelle Colón has worked in two of the most hostile environments protecting, defending, and expanding abortion rights and access for women and girls of color in Mississippi and Texas. An unapologetic Abortion Freedom Fighter, Michelle has led and organized many large scale, pro-abortion events, co-founded the Pink House Defenders, and fought against anti-abortion and voter-disenfranchising legislation. She is a co-founder and executive director of SHERo (Sisters Helping Every Woman Rise and Organize), a Black Women’s Collective working to help Black women, girls, and femmes, regardless of gender identity, preference, or sexual orientation, find their path to liberation, through a holistic approach that dismantles oppressive patriarchy by achieving full inclusion, leadership, and equality through community organizing.

Julie F. Kay

An experienced and passionate advocate for quality, attorney Julie F. Kay (she/her) is an expert on women’s human rights domestically and internationally. Kay is the co-author with Kathryn Kolbert of Controlling Women: What We Must Do Now to Save Reproductive Freedom. In ABC v. Ireland, Kay helped lay the groundwork for the legalization of abortion in Ireland.

Mini Timmaraju

Mini Timmaraju (she/her) is the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. A seasoned campaigner, skilled coalition-builder, and high-impact organizer, she has over 20 years of experience leading federal, state, and local campaigns, as well as advocacy efforts around reproductive rights, gender justice, and racial justice. She has advised the Biden-Harris Administration on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility and served as Women’s Vote Director on the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. (Photo credit: Les Talusan)

Susie Banikarim

Susie Banikarim (she/her) was most recently Head of Newsgathering and EVP at Vice News, and has run newsrooms from Gizmodo to The Daily Beast. An Emmy award-winning journalist, filmmaker, media strategist, and founding member of The Meteor, she speaks globally on issues of leadership, diversity and inclusion. A former Nieman Fellow at Harvard, she is the director and executive producer of the documentary, “Enemies of the People: Trump and the Political Press.”