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COMMENTARY: Our Disappearing Rights

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Just as our voting rights are disappearing, so also are women’s rights to comprehensive health care. Someone leaked a draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. In 2018 Mississippi passed the Gestational Age Act, which banned abortion after 15 weeks. The Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the only licensed abortion clinic in Mississippi, filed a lawsuit in federal court and requested a temporary restraining order to prevent lawmakers from enforcing the law. The restraining order was granted, so the State Health Officer, Thomas Dobbs, took the case to the Supreme Court. The Court is likely to overturn Roe v. Wade and decide that Mississippi’s abortion restriction is constitutional.
The post COMMENTARY: Our Disappearing Rights first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

May 17, 2022

Julianne Malveaux

By Julianne Malveaux, NNPA Newswire Contributor

When the Supreme Court overturned Section Five of the Voting Rights Act, it struck a blow to voting rights. No longer did states with a history of discrimination have to submit their plans to make electoral changes to the department of Justice. Instead, voters and advocacy organizations that experienced limitations of their rights had to go to court to prove that discrimination.

Though this placed a burden on voting rights advocates, litigators, and the Transformative Justice Coalition, Barbara Arnwine has gone from state-to-state fighting unequal, discriminatory voting laws and voter suppression.

TJC first produced its Map of Shame in 2016, focusing on ways states change voting laws to keep voter turnout down. The 45th President’s narrow victory over Hilary Rodham Clinton was partly a function of low voter turnout and a flawed Clinton campaign, and it was also a function of voter suppression. Voting rights activists and volunteers ensured President Biden’s victory in 2020, and the result has been a more aggressive attempt to curtail voting rights. In Georgia, it is even illegal to offer a bottle of water to someone standing in line for hours on a hot day! The effects of these curtailed rights will be seen in the 2022 midterm and 2024 Presidential elections unless people push back with the same intensity as they did in 2020.

Just as our voting rights are disappearing, so also are women’s rights to comprehensive health care. Someone leaked a draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. In 2018 Mississippi passed the Gestational Age Act, which banned abortion after 15 weeks. The Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the only licensed abortion clinic in Mississippi, filed a lawsuit in federal court and requested a temporary restraining order to prevent lawmakers from enforcing the law. The restraining order was granted, so the State Health Officer, Thomas Dobbs, took the case to the Supreme Court. The Court is likely to overturn Roe v. Wade and decide that Mississippi’s abortion restriction is constitutional.

The court wants to go even further than that. In the leaked opinion, Justice Alito wrote, “We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled.” He and four other conservative justices – Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett- have been planning this moment since the 45th President appointed them to the court. Arguably, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh could be charged with perjury and tried for lying under oath to the United States Senate as both of them acknowledged the precedent of Roe and pledged to honor its precedent. n reacting to the May 1 leak, Chief Justice John Roberts described it as a “singular and egregious breach of trust that is an effort to the Court and the community of public servants who work here.” The first breach of trust came when Gorsuch and Kavanaugh lied under oath. It is profoundly hypocritical for Roberts to speak of trust when defending liars.

Poor women and women of color are most likely to be impacted if Roe is overturned. Women outside Jackson now have to drive hundreds of miles to get to Mississippi’s only abortion provider. In addition to the fee for abortion services, women may need to finance transportation, an overnight stay, and more. Wealthy women will get what they want, no matter what the law. Before Roe, these women went to Mexico or found their way around the law. Poor women have no such options.

Restricting the right to comprehensive health care also constrains women’s economic self-sufficiency. Research shows that the availability of contraception increases women’s labor force participation, which is good for the economy.

Now some conservatives are considering restricting access to contraception. But contraception makes women’s investment in education and employment more likely.

Emboldened by the many ways legislators have chipped away rights guaranteed by Roe and Casey, legislators in Mississippi are proposing laws to declare that life begins at conception, outlawing abortions after “life.”

In Louisiana, legislators are proposing laws to define abortion as murder. All of this anti-abortion legislation is an attack on women’s rights.

Most Americans support abortion rights, in many cases with some restrictions. The Supreme Court is tone-deaf to the people’s sentiments and, more importantly, to 50-year precedents. Roe was decided based on privacy rights, which keep the courts out of the bedroom and away from people’s health status. Reversing Roe removes privacy rights, not just the right to choose.

What’s next? Marriage equality? Further erosion of voting rights? Interracial marriage? What else?

The difference between Democrats and Republicans is that Democrats plan by Presidential cycle, while Republicans plan for decades. This triumph of conservatism has been planned since Ronald Reagan was elected President in 1980. Forty years later, hard-fought gains are being lost, and our rights are disappearing. We are moving back to the 1950s or, given our economic situation, perhaps the 1930s; moving backwards as surely as we did when parts of the Voting Rights Act were overturned. People are taking their anger and disappointment to the streets, but maybe a decade too late.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA. Juliannemalveaux.com.

The post COMMENTARY: Our Disappearing Rights first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Black Feminist Movement Mobilizes in Response to National Threats

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

Published

1 week ago

May 30, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States. The event, led by the organization Black Feminist Future, is headlined by activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. Paris Hatcher, executive director of Black Feminist Future, joined Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known to outline the mission and urgency behind the gathering, titled “Get Free.” “This is not just a conference to dress up and have a good time,” Hatcher said. “We’re building power to address the conditions that are putting our lives at risk—whether that’s policing, reproductive injustice, or economic inequality.” Hatcher pointed to issues such as rising evictions among Black families, the rollback of bodily autonomy laws, and the high cost of living as key drivers of the event’s agenda. “Our communities are facing premature death,” she said.

Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”

The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”

Stacy M. Brown

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Hoover’s Commutation Divides Chicago as State Sentence Remains

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial.

Published

1 week ago

May 29, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The federal sentence for Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover has been commuted, but he remains incarcerated under a 200-year state sentence in Illinois. The decision by Donald Trump to reduce Hoover’s federal time has reignited longstanding debates over his legacy and whether rehabilitation or continued punishment is warranted. The commutation drew immediate public attention after music executive Jay Prince and artist Chance the Rapper publicly praised Trump’s decision. “I’m glad that Larry Hoover is home,” said Chance the Rapper. “He was a political prisoner set up by the federal government. He created Chicago Votes, mobilized our people, and was targeted for that.”

But Hoover, the founder of the Gangster Disciples, is not home—not yet. Now in federal custody at the Florence Supermax in Colorado, Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial. “There is a divide in the Black community here,” said Chicago journalist Jason Palmer during an appearance on the Let It Be Known morning program. “Some view Hoover as someone who brought structure and leadership. Others remember the violence that came with his organization.” Palmer explained that while Hoover’s gang originally formed for protection, it grew into a criminal network responsible for extensive harm in Chicago. He also noted that Hoover continued to run his organization from state prison using coded messages passed through visitors, prompting his transfer to federal custody.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is widely considered a potential 2028 presidential contender, has not issued a statement. Palmer suggested that silence is strategic. “Releasing Hoover would create enormous political consequences,” Palmer said. “The governor’s in a difficult spot—he either resists pressure from supporters or risks national backlash if he acts.” According to Palmer, Hoover’s federal commutation does not make him a free man. “The federal sentence may be commuted, but he still has a 200-year state sentence,” he said. “And Illinois officials have already made it clear they don’t want to house him in state facilities again. They prefer he remains in federal custody, just somewhere outside of Colorado.”

Palmer also raised concerns about what Hoover’s case could signal for others. “When R. Kelly was convicted federally, state prosecutors in Illinois and Minnesota dropped their charges. If a president can commute federal sentences based on public pressure or celebrity support, others like R. Kelly or Sean Combs could be next,” Palmer said. “Meanwhile, there are thousands of incarcerated people without fame or access to public platforms who will never get that consideration.” “There are people who are not here today because of the violence connected to these organizations,” Palmer said. “That has to be part of this conversation.”

Stacy M. Brown

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WATCH: Five Years After George Floyd: Full Panel Discussion | Tracey’s Keepin’ It Real | Live Podcast Event

Join us as we return to the city where it happened and speak with a voice from the heart of the community – Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO/Publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

Published

1 week ago

May 28, 2025

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https://youtube.com/watch?v=OsNLWTz6jU0&feature=oembed

May 25, 2020. The world stopped and watched as a life was taken.

But what has happened since?

Join us as we return to the city where it happened and speak with a voice from the heart of the community – Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO/Publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

She shares reflections, insights, and the story of a community forever changed. What has a year truly meant, and where do we go from here?

This is more than just a date; it’s a moment in history. See what one leader in the Black press has to say about it.

Recorded live at UROC in Minneapolis, this powerful discussion features:

Panelists: