Historian can see the U.S. Supreme Court through the window of her office in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., where she is serving as the this summer. It鈥檚 a great vantage point, she said, not only for looking out at landmarks of American government, but also for reflecting on the ways laws and judgements have negatively influenced Black maternal health throughout American history.
鈥淚 think the Library of Congress is one of the most democratic institutions we have, one of the best examples of what is possible in our democracy,鈥 said Nunley, associate professor of history in the 麻豆视频 and 麻豆视频 (A&S). 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a great synergy for me to be in the library and to think about the relationship between what the government does and the work that I鈥檓 trying to capture鈥he building is glamorous, but the work itself 鈥 I think we don鈥檛 oftentimes value what it means to live the life of the mind, that in order to produce this knowledge, we really do have to get quiet and we have to read, we have to study, and we have to try to understand.鈥
Nunley is using her time at the Library of Congress to build the historical context for The Black Reproductive Justice Archive, a digital collection of oral histories from people at the forefront of addressing the Black maternal health and reproductive crisis. The archive will be housed on a website available to the public and feature a database of oral histories, critical essays, and multimedia forms of storytelling from medical and legal professionals, doulas, organizers and others. Her project is supported by a New Frontier Grant (NFG) from A&S.
Today in the United States, Black women are three to five times more likely to face maternal death than white women, regardless of social, educational and economic status, Nunley said; Black infants are more likely to face life-threatening complications or mortality, and both are likely to receive poor treatment from America鈥檚 hospital systems.
鈥淲hile this has become more understood in this contemporary moment, what鈥檚 less understood is Black women鈥檚 reproductive lives during the earlier periods of American history,鈥 said Nunley, who is writing a book on the subject as well as building the oral history archive.
鈥淚鈥檓 thinking about the history of Black women鈥檚 relationship to reproduction, which includes reproductive history, law and medicine," she said. "It鈥檚 been fascinating research to conduct while simultaneously launching an oral history project on Black women activists, providers, doula collectives, who are on the front lines of addressing the crisis. There is the historical component to it, and there is the very present on-the-ground moment we鈥檙e trying to capture through this project with the New Frontier Grant.鈥
The Black Reproductive Justice Archive will focus, at first, on Cleveland. Named one of the worst places in the U.S. for Black women in terms of health, economic, social and political outcomes, Nunley said, it also has a Black middle class that鈥檚 been affected by the crisis in Black maternal health.
鈥淚n Cleveland, there are interesting dynamics happening with advancements in medicine and also rampant levels of poverty, bureaucratic challenges and barriers to accessing health care benefits,鈥 Nunley said. 鈥淚t is an important place to begin because it captures ways that other American cities might be struggling with this issue, as well.鈥
Cornell doctoral candidate , a specialist in Black women鈥檚 history, together with undergraduate researchers, will collect oral histories. The goal is to eventually expand to other American cities.
Black women鈥檚 historical struggle for reproductive justice is far from over, Nunley said, a reminder, as America celebrates Juneteenth as a national holiday, that 鈥渓egal freedom is only the beginning of a long, long, rigorous fight for equality.鈥
鈥淚 think the fight for reproductive justice, particularly for Black families, is a testament to that fight and the persistent fight that has to remain ongoing until we realize more equitable conditions,鈥 Nunley said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a sobering reminder of the work that still remains.鈥
But Juneteenth is also a celebration, she said, of the creative ways Black people have found to 鈥渆mbody joy in the face of incomplete revolution.鈥
Image by Andreas Praefcke/
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