In the weeks preceding the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Gov. Gavin Newsom called on California to continue to serve as a “beacon of hope” for those seeking abortions. But even within the state, geography often determines individuals’ reproductive rights—access to abortion, but also access to prenatal and pregnancy care, contraception, sex education, and institutions that support parents. In South Los Angeles, community groups and public officials have worked for years to address disparities, including maternal and infant mortality rates that have been dramatically higher for Black families. What strategies have succeeded in getting more people better reproductive care in South L.A.? And how might they inspire other people and organizations, at the community, state, and even national level, in post-Roe America?

Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Janette Robinson-Flint, executive director of Black Women for Wellness, Allegra Hill, midwife, co-owner and co-founder of Kindred Space LA, and Dr. John McHugh, representing California’s district of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, visit Zócalo to discuss how future battles for reproductive justice might resemble those that have already been waged in South L.A. and other California communities.

This event is produced in partnership with South Central Innervisions: An AfroLatinxFuturism multidisciplinary arts festival on July 23, 2022 at Mercado La Paloma.

Artwork: “When We Rise, Creating Our Next LA” by Dominique Moody, commissioned by LA Commons for We Rise 2022. In the artist’s words, “It is only when we respect and nurture our planet that we are able to create our next healthier and happier LA, for all.”