Women of Color, Parenting and Trump

Women of color have historically fought for the right to have children as much as they have fought for access to abortion. They have been policed and marginalized through welfare reform, immigration laws, and racialized myths about their bodies and sexuality. This struggle has often prevented women of color from giving birth under circumstances of their own choosing; it has also made it difficult for them to access social supports—such as child care and paid sick leave—and to raise their children as they see fit. The policies of the Trump administration have merely exacerbated this problem. So far, the administration’s efforts to cut Medicaid by more than $600 billion, to cut welfare programs by more than $270 billion, to cut the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program by $214 million, and to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have further jeopardized women’s reproductive autonomy and the ability of their families to thrive.