This week's revolutionary is Loretta Ross, co-founder of the Reproductive Justice movement. She teaches "White Supremacy in the Age of Trump" at Smith College and is the author of a number of works, including Radical Reproductive Justice: Foundation, Theory, Practice, Critique (2017) and Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organizing for Reproductive Justice (2004).
Our conversation covers decades of life experiences that led Loretta into social justice work, from growing up across the United States to "accidentally" becoming an activist; from deprogramming ex-Klansmen to becoming a college professor. And of course, we discuss the current state of activism work: why it's better to call in than call out, when to burn bridges, and how movements change and new generations create new rules.
Some Questions I Ask:
- What is Reproductive Justice? (4:45)
- How did the experience of being a young parent shape you? (17:07)
- Where did you study? (20:13)
- How does your history inform your new work? (30:54)
- What's the difference between calling out and calling in? (38:41)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- The challenges of teaching online (2:40)
- What the pro-life vs. pro-choice debate gets wrong (7:31)
- How the army schools Loretta attended were more racially diverse than public schools (13:18)
- How experiences with sexual violence shaped Loretta (TRIGGER WARNING, 14:47)
- How Loretta became the "accidental activist" (21:48)
- The challenges of deprogramming Klansmen (29:18)
- How new generations reinvent activism (31:44)
- The line between forgiving mistakes and condemning unapologetic harm (42:15)
Resources:
Loretta J. Ross Papers, Smith College Libraries
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