Readout of Vice President Kamala Harris’s Meeting with Civil Rights and Reproductive Rights Leaders

Yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris convened civil rights and reproductive rights leaders at the White House to discuss coalition building between their organizations to protect reproductive health care and abortion access in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in Dobbs. The participants discussed the intersection between the civil rights movement and the reproductive rights and justice movement, and shared how they are standing shoulder-to-shoulder to defend civil and human rights of all Americans.
 
During the roundtable, the participants discussed the impact of Dobbs on communities that are already made vulnerable by the attacks on voting rights, including people of color, women, and Americans with disabilities. They also discussed how Dobbs endangers other important civil rights, including the right to contraception and marriage equality. They discussed how the United States is an example of democracy and freedom for nations around the world, and that Dobbs is a danger not only to the women of America but to women around the world. The participants discussed the importance of the United States protecting and expanding rights. The participants thanked the Vice President for the actions the Biden-Harris Administration has taken to protect reproductive health, and they committed to continuing to work together in partnership. The Vice President applauded the participants for their leadership defending access to reproductive health care and abortion care.
 
The Vice President has brought together leaders from across the nation who are on the frontlines fighting to protect a woman’s right to make her own reproductive health decisions. Since May, the Vice President has held more than 20 convenings about the fight to protect reproductive rights. The Vice President has met with 150+ state legislators from 18 states to discuss protecting reproductive rights. She has also convened health care providers, constitutional law experts, faith leaders, state attorneys general, disability rights leaders, higher education leaders, and advocates.
 
Participants

• Melanie L. Campbell, President and CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, National Convener, Black Women’s Roundtable 
• Dr. Thelma T. Daley, National President/Chair, National Council for Negro Women, Inc.
• Karen Finney, Co-Convener, Power Rising 
• Jocelyn Frye, President, National Partnership for Women & Families 
• Fatima Goss Graves, President, National Women’s Law Center 
• Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
• Shalondan Hollingshed, President, National Urban League Young Professionals   
• Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director, URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity 
• Derrick Johnson, President and CEO, NAACP
• Jesselyn McCurdy, Executive Vice President for Government Affairs, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights 
• Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America 
• Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League 
• Janai S. Nelson, President and Director-Counsel, Legal Defense Fund (LDF)
• Nancy Northup, President and CEO, Center for Reproductive Rights 
• Imani Rupert-Gordon, Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) 
• Rev. Al Sharpton, President and Founder, National Action Network 
• Mini Timmaraju, President, NARAL-Pro Choice America 
• Monica Simpson, Executive Director, SisterSong