Feminist to Know: Loretta Ross

Loretta Ross is a professor, activist, and public intellectual, as well as “a Godmother to reproductive justice.” Born in 1953, Ross was first brought to the women’s movement through her work at the country’s very first rape crisis center. She went on to co-found SisterSong, the Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, the organization responsible for coining the term Reproductive Justice. (Read more about that here.)

Much of Ross’ educational and organizing work has dealt with the intersection of racial justice, bodily autonomy, and reproductive health care access. She was one of the first women of color to win a lawsuit against A.H. Robbins for the dangerous Dalkon Shield, a faulty contraceptive device from the 60s and 70s that led to the deaths of at least 18 people and primarily affected people of color. (Read more about that here.)

Currently, Ross teaches at Smith College, focusing on white supremacy and the carceral logic of cancel culture. You can read more about her and her work on her personal website here.