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

"Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty," by Dorothy Roberts, is an essential work that delves deep into the intersection of racial justice, gender equality, and health equity. First published in 1997, the book has remained a seminal text in understanding how systemic injustices and historical abuses have shaped the reproductive experiences of Black women in America. Roberts exposes the brutal realities—from the coerced sterilizations of the 1970s to the economic exploitation of women's fertility during slavery—highlighting how Black women's bodies have been controlled and their motherhood devalued. This book not only maps out the exclusion of Black women from mainstream feminist and civil rights movements but also serves as a crucial rallying cry for extending reproductive justice to all women. Ideal for adult education settings, this book encourages critical reflection on how deeply racism and sexism are woven into the fabric of American society and prompts a reevaluation of liberty itself.