Alabama remains one of the most restrictive and challenging reproductive health environments in the country. The state’s laws, healthcare infrastructure, and political climate combine to create conditions where access to basic reproductive care is inconsistent, limited, and often unsafe. Black women experience maternal mortality rates three times higher than their white counterparts, meaning the burden of this hostile…

Picture a room of student leaders from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) laughing, hugging, and celebrating two years of advancing Reproductive Justice through advocacy that transformed them, their campuses, and their communities. That was the energy in the room at our 2026 Next Generation Leadership Institute Graduation Retreat in Washington, D.C. I was filled…