Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1997

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Before You Read

Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Introduction-Chapter 1

Chapters 2-3

Chapters 4-5

Chapters 6-7

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Roberts strongly suggests that the American legacy of controlling Black women’s reproduction set the template for curtailing reproductive liberty to all racial groups. How might the recent Supreme Court decision Whole Woman’s Health v. Jackson reify Roberts’s point?

How might limitations on reproductive liberty—not only abortion, but also equal access to contraceptives—connect to labor, wage control, and capitalism?

What conclusions can you draw about Margaret Sanger’s legacy? Do you praise her efforts in birth control and reform? Why or why not?