Forum, June 10: Abortion’s disproportionate effects on Black community

In light of recent violence against Black shoppers in Buffalo, there are cries to exterminate “systemic racism” in America. Meanwhile, the recent leaked draft Supreme Court opinion by Justice Samuel Alito has thrown the pro-choice movement in America into a maelstrom, and demonstrations and protests against an opinion “overturning” Roe v. Wade — which is not even final — have been launched all over the country.

Let’s look at how Roe v. Wade has affected Black people in America over its 49 years of existence. Black women made up 38% of all abortions tracked in 2016, and in recent years there were more Black abortions than live births in New York City. Let’s remember that Margaret Sanger, who laid the foundation for Planned Parenthood, originally proposed sterilizing Black women, among others, and implemented various measures to discourage Black women from procreating.