Resolution in Support of Reproductive Justice as a Core Principle of Civil and Human Rights, and Reaffirming 2004 Resolution on the March for Life

WHEREAS, the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees equal protection of the law to all persons, and American courts have long recognized and protected such fundamental civil and human rights as the right to vote, to marry the person of one's choice, to be free from discrimination on the basis of race, gender, disability status, to have privacy and autonomy over one's own body, and to safely exercise reproductive freedom, and;

WHEREAS, in 1920, the NAACP's most distinguished founder W.E.B. Du Bois reflected that every woman must have the right to procreation "at her own discretion", which the NAACP affirmed in its Resolution "March for Life" on reproductive choice, and;

WHEREAS, the Supreme Court has recognized the right to privacy as protected under the Fourteenth Amendment since 1973, but now nearly 50 years later the federal judiciary has threatened to attack this right, while many states have entirely completely denied it, negating due process and equal protection to women, with a disproportionate impact on Black women.

WHEREAS, a core tenet of human rights and reproductive justice is the right to control one's own body regardless of geography or state of residence; and;

WHEREAS, Black women have historically experienced greater difficulty accessing reproductive health care contributing to poor maternal health outcomes, and exacerbating health disparities that affect Black women's and men's ability to productively engage in life, work, family, and community; and;

WHEREAS, in light of this disparate impact, Black women must rely upon federal and state governments to protect their right to reproductive freedom from unconstitutional infringement, and;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP condemns efforts by any executive, judicial, or legislative body to erode or overturn well-settled precedents recognizing and protecting reproductive rights and civil and human rights, in general; and;

THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP calls upon the Congress of the United States to protect the reproductive rights of women by codifying the right to privacy and due process protections enumerated in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania, et al. v. Robert P. Casey, et al., and;

THEREFORE, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP calls upon its units to educate and advocate with state, executive, and legislative bodies to protect the reproductive rights of women by codifying them in state law and within their state constitutions.