Reproductive Date Map by Shakia Gittens
The image above is a combination of 3 things. The blue dates are years that were generally important for reproductive rights. For example, in 1821 there was a law that banned medical abortion in the US. Then in 1916 Margaret Sanger opened the country’s first birth control clinic. The green dates are dates specifically related to the Supreme Court cases that were important to reproductive rights. The red dates are dates that relate to me. For example in 2011 I got my first period. However I first heard about periods in 2009 after my doctor raised concerns to my mother that I would start my period earlier than others. In 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned, and for the first time in my life I had to think about my future reproductive rights. I had to consider life in a country that could leave me vulnerable and unable to help myself. With the overturn of Roe v. Wade comes a new era of fear and uncertainty for many women who are not lucky enough to live in a state that protects reproductive rights.
Websites used: https://www.aclu.org/other/timeline-important-reproductive-freedom-cases-decided-supreme-court https://www.history.com/news/reproductive-rights-timeline
–Shakia Gittens ’24
