Radical Reproductive Justice: Foundation, Theory, Practice, Critique

by Loretta J. Ross (Editor), Erika Derkas (Editor), Whitney Peoples (Editor)

Practical tools and theoretical frameworks for understanding the fight for reproductive rights, from pregnancy to parenthood and beyond. Expanding the social justice discourse surrounding "reproductive rights" to include issues of environmental justice, incarceration, poverty, disability, and more, this crucial anthology explores the practical applications for activist thought on this ever-urgent issue. Radical Reproductive Justice assembles two decades’ of work initiated by SisterSong Women of Color Health Collective, creators of the human rights-based “reproductive justice” framework to move beyond polarized pro-choice/pro-life debates. Rooted in Black feminism and built on intersecting identities, this revolutionary framework asserts a woman's right to have children, to not have children, and to parent and provide for the children they have. “The book is as revolutionary and revelatory as it is vast."  —Rewire

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Social Justice, Politics, History, Essays, Gender

456 pages, Paperback

Published November 14, 2017

About the author

Loretta J. Ross is a Visiting Professor of Practice in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University teaching "Reproductive Justice Theory and Practice" and "Race and Culture in the U.S." for the 2018-2019 academic year. Previously, she was a Visiting Professor at Hampshire College in Women's Studies for the 2017-2018 academic year teaching "White Supremacy in the Age of Trump." She was a co-founder and the National Coordinator of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective from 2005-2012, a network founded in 1997 of women of color and allied organizations that organize women of color in the reproductive justice movement. She is one of the creators of the term "Reproductive Justice" coined by African American women in 1994 that has transformed reproductive politics in the U.S.

Reviews

[Jung · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.5 stars] Radical Reproductive Justice is packed full of writing on the history, theory, practice, activism, and critique of reproductive justice. It's an essential read for anyone doing social justice work and it delves deep, discovering the reproductive justice lens and intersections with a range of identities, communities, and movements. I'm not sure why "radical" is included in the title and that point isn't clearly shared; reproductive justice is inherently radical, root cause-focused, intersectional, and critical of power and oppression so having to state seems redundant. My favorite essays were Toni Bond Leonard's evolution of the movement's origins, Andrea Smith's challenge to complicate the choice / life binary, and all of the issue-based activist narratives. The Theory section introduces many important concepts for those new to the framework but was also very dense and academic (count the "hegemony"!). It was clear that some pieces were written a while ago (old data, old job titles) while others were written after the 2016 election. In a second edition, I'd love to see more by young people under 25 and trans women of color and more about mental health and rural communities.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Radical Reproductive Justice: Foundation, Theory, Practice, Critique (Paperback)
by Loretta J. Ross

[Elizabeth Breen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ross should be required reading

Edit: necessary for any future work re: racialized reproductive engineering

[Emma De Montis · Rating 4 out of 5]

read a little bit over 300 pages and my essay is due in a few days so sadly I have to stop reading . But highly recommend this book !! I have learnt so so much !

[Keelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant, and a must-read for anyone involved in human rights/social justice work. Aside from having incredible theoretical content, the use of storytelling and art makes the book not only beautiful and endlessly engaging, but refreshingly accessible in a world where academics often prefer to stick with exclusionary vocabulary.

The collection includes pieces on the practical side of social justice as well as the theory, with each piece written in a different style and from a slightly different angle, making every essay or story newly interesting.

[Mills College Library]

305.42097 R1292 2017