FOR BETTER OR WORSE, THE CHOICE IS OURS

Roe v. Wade Implications in Black and White. Part 1

July 2, 2022

Dear Reader,

What a few weeks we’ve had! Our American climate has been as erratic as a tornado, with no visible calm before the storm. All because someone leaked a Supreme Court draft opinion in May. 

Instantly a firestorm of wagging tongues flooded the airwaves regarding the implications on society if Roe (est. January 1973) was overturned. And then the day and decisions overruling Roe and Casey (est.1992) arrived on June 24, 2022 (Dobbs), along with a whirlwind of opinions.

As usual, and like many of you, I had my own opinions, which I am rarely eager to share carelessly. So, I sought to find out if Americans are better or worse because of Roe, and what I discovered I plan to share with you in a series of essays. Because, like it or not, we will all have a say at the State level about this topic. Whether we like it or not, abortions will affect you, me, and the next generation, for better or worse.

For Better 

Some of the benefits of Roe and the basis for making abortion a codified law throughout the nation are: 

1. Women are loosed from overwhelming patriarchal control and have more privacy,
2. Women have the right to birth control and contraceptives,
3. Women are free to make love to whomever they choose, and
4. Medical advancements have made it safer to abort the baby created from that freedom. 

All good, right? 

For Worse

Well, many women and men would agree until they consider the downside:

1. Since abortions were legalized, medical advancements have proved that life is conceived at conception. 
2. Since abortions were legalized, there have been fewer Black marriages.
3. Since abortions were legalized, more than 63 million babies have been aborted in the United States of America. 
4. Since abortions were legalized, more Black babies have been murdered than the number of Blacks killed by cops and more than the nearly 7 million enslaved people imported to the New World during the 18^th century. 

Facts

Clearly, I will not be able to unpack each item in one sitting, but I hope to present as many facts, figures, and thoughts, as possible over time because, again, the decision to support or deny the right to life is on us.

We no longer get to hide behind pre-established law. No ma’am, no sir, our generation will make the call to defend the choices we will have to live with.  

But before I close today, I want to leave you some startling statistics about my race of people : 

While Blacks are only the third largest ethnic group in the United States, we accounted for 38% of the 629,898 abortions, as reported by the last records (2019) on abortions from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Non-Hispanic Whites accounted for 33%, Hispanics 21%, and 7% other. Blacks account for more than any other racial and ethnic group. 

In 2015, the U.S. population was much the same, yet Whites aborted 36.9% of their babies and Blacks aborted 36%. In plain figures, that year, 124,893 White women aborted their babies, and 121,829 Black women had abortions. But the kicker is that Blacks represented 13.4% of the population and Whites represented 76.6%. 

Do the math.

The media, popular television programs, people, and hosts will purport that abortions are down in this country. But not for Blacks. The trend is more Black abortions and fewer Black humans and families nationwide. And these numbers could be higher because the CDC figures above did not include California, Maryland, or New Hampshire—I will discuss other reporting agencies in a later post. 

Questions

For now, I ask you: At this rate and even without factoring in the disproportionate rate of Black mothers dying during childbirth due to systemic racism in our healthcare systems, what will become of the Black race? 

Blacks are currently 12.6% of the U.S. Population. (As indicated by the 2020 Census).

Will you think and pray for solutions to the crisis affecting the shrinking Black family? 

Although, you may not respond. My aim is not to proselytize. We each must work out our salvation with the Creator. However, when I nearly died and began to recover, it became abundantly clear that I had been charged to speak up for the voiceless. I remembered the words: If not me, then who? If not now, then when?

Therefore, at this juncture in my life, I desire meaningful conversations that get to the root of our cultural and societal problems. I also believe in following the science, praying, and creating solutions alongside other compassionate people. If you pick up what I am putting down, stick with me. 

Until the next post, live well and love unconditionally. Really,

Leah