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Samantha Casiano and Luis Villasana outside Travis County Courthouse in Austin on July 19, 2023. A Texas state court heard arguments from both sides in Zurawski v. State of Texas, a lawsuit filed by CRR on behalf of Texas women denied abortions despite serious pregnancy complications. (Suzanne Cordeiro / AFP via Getty Images)

BY ROXY SZAL | On Wednesday, Texas women denied abortions despite serious pregnancy complications shared their stories in an Austin courtroom on the first day of testimony in Zurawski v. State of Texas—a lawsuit filed against the state of Texas by the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), and the first brought on behalf of women denied abortions since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion.

Amanda Zurawski developed sepsis and nearly died after being refused an abortion, and will suffer permanent reproductive damage as a result. Ashley Brandt, when pregnant with twins, discovered one of her twins had a fatal condition, and was forced to leave the state for care after her providers refused to provide a selective fetal reduction. Samantha Casiano said she felt “abandoned” after being forced to carry a nonviable pregnancy to term; her daughter died just four hours after birth. 

The case marks the first time that women have directly sued a state over the adverse medical impacts of abortion bans since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion. The case has 15 plaintiffs in total—13 women who suffered grave medical complications after being denied abortions, plus two ob-gyns. 

(Click here to read more) 

A memorial for the 19 children and two adults killed on May 24, 2022, during a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. (Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images)

BY VERONICA RAY-WHITEHEAD | The U.S. just mourned the one-year anniversary of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were killed. Despite multiple armed guards on campus at the time of the shooting, and 376 law enforcement officers eventually descending upon the school, no one was able to stop the gunman. How did the state of Texas respond to public cries demanding school safety? With House Bill 3, currently awaiting Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature, which would require an armed officer on every school campus.

Our right to raise our child in a safe and supportive community has been stolen from us. More guns on campuses won’t make people safer, researchers say. These campus-carry laws highlight our elected officials’ inability to keep children safe—which is a core tenant of reproductive justice. By centering a reproductive justice approach, it is possible to establish safe and supportive communities to raise children with proactive systems and initiatives.

(Click here to read more)

Harvard students joined in a rally on July 1, 2023, protesting the Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action. (Craig F. Walker / The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BY LACRIESSIA MALONE | The Supreme Court last month struck down affirmative action, effectively banning colleges and universities from considering race as a factor in admission decisions. Around the same time, in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed Senate Bill 17 into law, which bans DEI offices and trainings at publicly funded universities—making it the second state in the country to ban higher education diversity initiatives, after Florida. These bans follow wider discussions about the future of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in a collegiate setting.

Marginalized groups—particularly Black women like myself—routinely battle against the judgment of our appearance when we enter a space. DEI is the pathway to breaking down these barriers that threaten our humanity.

(Click here to read more) 

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In early June 2023, for the second time in two months, Trump was indicted—this time on 37 felony counts for allegedly mishandling sensitive, classified government materials and obstruction of justice. What does this most recent indictment mean for Trump, the 2024 elections, and the future of American democracy as a whole?

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