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After the Repeal of Roe v. Wade: What Does It Mean for Black Women
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “We’re talking about another two or three hundred Black women who will die every year simply because they don’t have access to abortion care because they can’t make that choice. Most black women live in the south and this is where it is going to be more felt the deepest, I would say — but also, I’m thinking about poverty. The number one reason Black women, and all women, choose to have to get an abortion is because they can’t afford the child at the time. Most people who are choosing abortion already have children and they know they can’t afford to have another child. So, this means that for Black women and Latinas in particular, the poverty rate is likely to increase by another 15 to 20 percent,” said Linda Goler Blount, President of the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI), during an interview with Black Press USA.
The post After the Repeal of Roe v. Wade: What Does It Mean for Black Women appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor
After the jolting decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24, many women had to re-adjust their thinking regarding health care and personal decisions.
For Black women already dealing with historic and systemic challenges around access to health care and an increased rate of maternal death, the decision was more than personal.
“Black women tend to live in states hostile to reproductive healthcare, Roe’s overturn directly endangers Black women’s lives by exacerbating pre-existing access restrictions. Forcing Black women to carry dangerous, potentially deadly pregnancies to term will worsen the ongoing Black maternal mortality crisis that sees Black women dying from pregnancy at three times the rate of white women,” wrote Michelle Webb, Communications Director of the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI).
Additionally, many states have poor social services such as substandard prenatal care and high child poverty rates. The economic factors will become an issue immediately in states that have laws that are put into place as a result of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe. The reversal was a stunning change of almost half a century of landmark law on women’s reproductive rights.
In an interview with Black Press USA the day after the decision, Linda Goler Blount, President of the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI), spoke on how the decision by the court will impact Black women specifically.
“I am worried about the sort of the internalization of that messaging and the trauma that will cause in this next generation — but more to the point right now. What we will see over the next few years is an increase in the maternal mortality rates for particularly for Black and brown women, but for all women, maternal mortality is projected to increase by 20 to 21 percent. For black woman it’s 33 percent,” Blount said.
“We’re talking about another two or 300 Black women who will die every year simply because they don’t have access to abortion care because they can’t make that choice. Most black women live in the south and this is where it is going to be more felt — the deepest I would say, but also, I’m thinking about poverty. The number one reason Black women, and all women, choose to have to get an abortion is because they can’t afford the child at the time. Most people who are choosing abortion already have children and they know they can’t afford to have another child. So, this means that for Black women and Latinas in particular, the poverty rate is likely to increase by another 15 to 20 percent,” Blount told Black Press USA.
The 6-3 ruling by the court ended the constitutional right to an abortion and there is now no federally guaranteed right to an abortion in U.S. States.
“The fall of Roe will also condemn Black women who seek abortions due to financial hardship to an inescapable cycle of impoverishment along with the poor health outcomes that accompany it. Roe was a significant step toward a more equitable society in which Black women had access to the autonomy and agency they have traditionally been denied,” Michelle Webb added.
“By overruling nearly fifty years of legal precedent, the Court has turned the clock back on decades of progress made by Black women in America — and fanned the flames of a deadly public health crisis in the process,” added Webb hours after the decision came down.
All three of the Associate Justices appointed by former President Donald Trump, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Comes Barrett, voted to overturn Roe.
Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the host of the podcast BURKEFILE. She is a political analyst who appears regularly on #RolandMartinUnfiltered. She may be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke
The post After the Repeal of Roe v. Wade: What Does It Mean for Black Women appeared first on BlackPressUSA.
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Remembering George Floyd
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OP-ED: Oregon Bill Threatens the Future of Black Owned Newspapers and Community Journalism
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association
For decades, The Skanner newspaper in Portland, the Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium have served Portland, Oregon’s Black community and others with a vital purpose: to inform, uplift and empower. But legislation now moving through the Oregon Legislature threatens these community news institutions—and others like them.
As President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents more than 255 Black-owned media outlets across the United States—including historic publications like The Skanner, Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium—l believe that some Oregon lawmakers would do more harm than good for local journalism and community-owned publications they are hoping to protect.
Oregon Senate Bill 686 would require large digital platforms such as Google and Meta to pay for linking to news content. The goal is to bring desperately needed support to local newsrooms. However, the approach, while well-intentioned, puts smaller, community-based publications at a future severe financial risk.
We need to ask – will these payments paid by tech companies benefit the journalists and outlets that need them most? Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors, and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption, and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.
Legislation that sends money to these national conglomerate owners—without the right safeguards to protect independent and community-based outlets—rewards the forces that caused this inequitable crisis in the first place. A just and inclusive policy must guarantee that support flows to the front lines of local journalism and not to the boardrooms of large national media corporations.
The Black Press exists to fill in the gaps left by larger newsrooms. Our reporters are trusted messengers. Our outlets serve as forums for civic engagement, accountability and cultural pride. We also increasingly rely on our digital platforms to reach our audiences, especially younger generations—where they are.
We are fervently asking Oregon lawmakers to take a step back and engage in meaningful dialogue with those most affected: community publishers, small and independent outlets and the readers we serve. The Skanner, The Portland Observer, and The Portland Medium do not have national corporate parents or large investors. And they, like many smaller, community-trusted outlets, rely on traffic from search engines and social media to boost advertising revenue, drive subscriptions, and raise awareness.
Let’s work together to build a better future for Black-owned newspapers and community journalism that is fair, local,l and representative of all Oregonians.
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President & CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association
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Hate and Chaos Rise in Trump’s America
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains.

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified 1,371 hate and antigovernment extremist groups operating across the United States in 2024. In its latest Year in Hate & Extremism report, the SPLC reveals how these groups are embedding themselves in politics and policymaking while targeting marginalized communities through intimidation, disinformation, and violence. “Extremists at all levels of government are using cruelty, chaos, and constant attacks on communities and our democracy to make us feel powerless,” said SPLC President Margaret Huang. The report outlines how hard-right groups aggressively targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout 2024. Figures on the far right falsely framed DEI as a threat to white Americans, with some branding it a form of “white genocide.” After the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, a former Utah legislator blamed the incident on DEI, posting “DEI = DIE.”
Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains. Similar threats hit Jewish institutions and Planet Fitness locations after far-right social media accounts attacked them for trans-inclusive policies. Telegram, which SPLC describes as a hub for hate groups, helped extremists cross-recruit between neo-Nazi, QAnon, and white nationalist spaces. The platform’s lax moderation allowed groups like the Terrorgram Collective—designated terrorists by the U.S. State Department—to thrive. Militia movements were also reorganized, with 50 groups documented in 2024. Many, calling themselves “minutemen,” trained in paramilitary tactics while lobbying local governments for official recognition. These groups shared personnel and ideology with white nationalist organizations.
The manosphere continued to radicalize boys and young men. The Fresh & Fit podcast, now listed as a hate group, promoted misogyny while mocking and attacking Black women. Manosphere influencers used social media algorithms to drive youth toward male-supremacy content. Turning Point USA played a key role in pushing white nationalist rhetoric into mainstream politics. Its leader Charlie Kirk claimed native-born Americans are being replaced by immigrants, while the group advised on Project 2025 and organized Trump campaign events. “We know that these groups build their power by threatening violence, capturing political parties and government, and infesting the mainstream discourse with conspiracy theories,” said Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “By exposing the players, tactics, and code words of the hard right, we hope to dismantle their mythology and inspire people to fight back.”
Click here for the full report or visit http://www.splcenter.org/resources/guides/year-hate-extremism-2024.
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