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African-American Women for Reproductive Freedom was an American-based reproductive rights organization that formed in 1990. The organization developed as a way for African American women to show support for Roe vs. Wade. Faye Wattleton was one of the first major supporters of the organization. In 1989, before officially forming an organization, a group of 16 African American women, and one man, all affiliated with major organizations in the country, released a declaration brochure supporting pro-choice reproductive rights. The document, "African American Women are for Reproductive Freedom ", was signed by: This group wanted to change the idea of abortion not being a choice for African-American women. Even though is was legal, at the time some women did'nt have the money to be able to get an abortion. The legalization of abortion had just happened and that did not change the stigma it still carried. These women in the declaration stated that it was not fair that African-American women went through years of sufferage with rape, torture, and other forms of abuse. This led to women still being marginalized and treated like they coulldn't think for themselves. These women came together in order to end the stigma and judgment against African-American women for deciding to get an abortion and make it more available. This was important because it could also help end poor women from finding other ways to get an abortion.


 * Byllye Avery
 * Willie Barrow
 * Donna Brazile
 * Shirley Chisholm
 * Cardiss Collins
 * Romona Edelin
 * Jacqui Gillepsie
 * Dorothy Heigh
 * Jewel Jackson McCabe
 * Julianne Malveaux
 * Eleanor Holmes Norton
 * C. Delores Tucker
 * Patricia Tyson
 * Maxine Waters
 * Faye Wattleton

The importance of these types of groups

Racial Inequality was and still remains a continuing battle for people of color. In the fight for reproductive freedom the women of color were still being marginalized even though those fighting for equality were fighting for "all Women". No where do you find a better example of this, than the imbalance of care provided for those individuals who have private insurance vs. those who utilize Medicare. Women of color were not afforded the same right to care because of the stipulations put on the use of Medicare. Due to the social-economic disparity between women of color and white women most women of color could not afford private insurance thus reducing the availability of reproductive care options available to them. It was this disparity that women of color were fighting, along with the implications that came with it. The argument was, if one women has the right to reproductive options be it abortion or parent planning then all women regardless of skin color would as well even if they are using government sponsored health care.

Sexual health inequality was the message that African American Women for Reproductive health were trying to spread. As stated before the movement wasn't just about abortion but the overall issue of inequality in the healthcare system and in some way the underlying inequality that people and especially women of color still face today. Studies have shown that black women are statistically more likely to contract a sexually transmitted disease than their non-hispanic counterpart. African American women are two to three times more likely to become pregnant in their teens than Non-hispanic Caucasian women. It is this disparity that rights groups are fighting to change. The belief for them is that everyone should have the right to follow their own beliefs without infringing upon those of others which is summed up in the brochure quite clearly, "