Students and community members gathered in a classroom at Indiana University Northwest Tuesday to discuss an issue that affects them all: reproductive rights in Gary.
At the event, “The Attack on Black Women’s Bodies: A Conversation Around Reproductive Health in Indiana,” panelists explored the impact of reproductive rights since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Moderator Remell Bryant began the discussion with a poignant question: “Why are health disparities so bad for Black women?”
“Because they don’t listen to us,” one participant from the crowd said. “We’re not taken seriously.”
When Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, and abortion access was turned over to the state’s control, Indiana was one of the first states to enact a total abortion ban, which barred women from terminating pregnancies. Indiana’s abortion ban affects nearly 190,000 Black women in the state, according to a May report from the National Partnership for Women & Families and In Our Own Voice.
Two panelists at Tuesday’s event, Destiny Blackmon and Christina Williams, expressed their fears about losing their autonomy and the potential harm to future generations following the fall of Roe v. Wade.
Williams, an educator and human rights advocate, said that Gary’s “health desert,” combined with limited abortion access in the state, can lead to widespread effects, including increased maternal mortality risk, a greater need for mental health services, inadequate sex education in schools, and decreased protections for survivors of sexual assault.
“It’s like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,” Williams said, referencing the psychological term that deems basic needs must be met before advanced ones can be prioritized. “Healthcare is a need, and abortion is healthcare.”
Blackmon, a mother, mental health advocate, and nurse, highlighted the barriers she faced during her surrogacy journey, a reproductive option often inaccessible to Black women due to financial constraints.
Blackmon said surrogacy, which she described as a “boutique service,” cost her up to $18,000. Most insurance policies don’t cover the procedure and other reproductive health services. Moreover, Blackmon said Black women who attempt surrogacy are more likely than white women to be disqualified.
Throughout Tuesday’s discussion, panelists and attendees agreed that there isn’t enough education and discussion around reproductive health for Black women, saying there’s a need to keep pushing the needle forward and not remain silent on the issue.
“My reproductive health is my own,” Blackmon said. “And that’s all I want for all of us. My daughters, your daughters. Your nieces, your nephews. This is why we have this sort of conversation.”