Abortion rights protest sparked by Supreme Courtroom ruling in Dobbs

A pro-abortion rights protester takes part in nationwide demonstrations after the leaked Supreme Court Opinion raised the possibility of an abortion rights decision being overturned in Roe v. Wade in Houston, Texas on May 14, 2022.

Callaghan O’hare | Reuters

People across the United States skipped work on Friday to protest the Supreme Court’s recent decision overturning the federal constitutional right to abortion.

National teach-ins are organized by a group of Black women leaders and will be held online starting at 11:30 a.m. ET, hosted by actress and singer Naturi Naughton, with face-to-face meetings in cities including Atlanta, Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago and Oakland, California.

The event coincides with the 46th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment blocking federal Medicaid funding for abortion services.

And it also comes days before the Supreme Court’s next term, which begins on Monday.

Two of the organizers, Leslie Mac and Tiffany Flowers, said the idea for the event came from their dismay at the June verdict in the case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

That decision overturned the state right to abortion that had been enshrined since 1973 by the Roe v. calf was protected.

“I was on a text thread with other black powerhouse women who were genuinely disappointed in our leaders — devastated, hurt, confused and unsure of what came next,” said Flowers, campaign director for The Frontline, a progressive group .

“What could we do to live up to the moment? Our motto is, we don’t torture ourselves, we organize,” she said.

Flowers and Mac brought together partner groups including the Movement for Black Lives, Move On, the Women’s March, MomsRising Together, March for Our Lives and the Working Families Party.

Tracey Corder, who organized the partners for the event, said: “The day without us is for everyone – regardless of your identity – because we are all inherently worthy of physical autonomy.”

“Any assault on our economic, political and human rights is an assault on our collective freedom, and Roe’s overthrow is part of a larger project of oppression,” Corder said.

More than 60% of Americans disagree with the Dobbs ruling, according to an NBC News poll released earlier this month.

While reproductive rights are at the heart of the event, organizers say it is also being held in support of progressive causes such as climate change, access to housing and labor rights.

The event is for “everyone who is fed up with being sick and tired!” reads the website.

“It’s an invitation,” Flowers said. “Both online and in local pop-ups, this day-long event will serve as a space for people to connect with each other and connect the dots about our struggles together. The doors of the movement are wide open and reproductive justice is the way forward.”