The Fall of Roe v. Wade and Four Ways to Take Action

When I laid my head back to have my hair washed in the sink, a constitutional right to abortion existed. In the mere five minutes it took to shampoo my hair for a haircut, I sat up to discover the right to make a medical decision with my doctor had vanished. 

Stumbling to the salon chair in shock, I looked to my left to see the woman next to me silently weeping: black mascara streaming down her cheeks, matching the black dye the colorist was brushing through her foil-dotted hair. 

Those mascara steaks, that black salon chair, the eerie quiet in the salon as every person in it watched the news in silent disbelief — those are the scenes I will remember. Like 9-11 or the assassination of JFK, Americans will remember where they were, what they were doing, and who they were with when the Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision to ban abortion on June 24, 2022: overturning a half-century of precedent and the most basic right to control our own medical care in an instant. 

If you’re beside yourself, you are not alone. In fact, you’re actually the majority. With eight-in-10 Americans supporting a right to choose, Americans everywhere are reeling, with many wondering what could possibly come next following the concurring opinion from Justice Clarence Thomas. Is it now “open season” on long-held protections over other basic rights like access to contraception, protections for gay marriage, and even the right to gay intimacy?

We are living through an unprecedented unraveling of our rights, norms, and institutions. There’s only one thing we know for sure and that’s this: nothing is off the table and the stakes have never been higher.

That’s why, while we’re reeling, we’re also fired up. In this disruptive moment in history we can feel gutted, but we must not feel helpless. We each have a part to play in what comes next and we cannot afford for a single one of us to sit this one out on the bench.

As I wrote in the Journal after the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it was RBG who reminded us of the power of chipping away at the wall of gender bias instead of toppling it. 

As I wrote in the Journal after the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it was RBG who reminded us of the power of chipping away at the wall of gender bias instead of toppling it. Here are four ways you can do your part to chip away at this miscarriage of justice and claw back what is yours:

1. Get educated: The anti-choice movement has propagated an incredible amount of misinformation and it’s absolutely essential that you know the state of play and your rights. Start with NARAL Pro-Choice America’s fantastic resource center for understanding abortion laws and policies. You should also acquaint yourself with The Washington Post’s map of where abortion is now banned, which shows where trigger bans (state laws that were passed in anticipation of Friday’s decision in the Dobbs case, which enabled the immediate elimination of abortion in 10 states on Friday) went into effect and where they’re anticipated to go into effect.

The most important thing you can do in your local elections right now is exercise your right to vote and to make sure the people around you vote as well. Period. 

2. Donate your time: One of the most important things you can do right now is donate your time and commit to continuing to donate your time. Organizations like NARAL had phone banking planned as soon as Thursday to support pro-choice candidates in 2022 swing state elections. Expect opportunities like this to continue, as well as opportunities to door-knock and canvas as the midterm elections draw nearer. You can learn more about how to donate your time with NARAL, Planned Parenthood, or EMILY’s List.

3. Donate your treasure: If your style is more checkbooks than clipboards, you can also use the above links to make a donation. NARAL, Planned Parenthood, and EMILY’S List are joining forces in the hopes of raising $115 million to support abortion access and choice. Every penny counts. 

4. Vote: The most important thing you can do in your local elections right now is exercise your right to vote and to make sure the people around you vote as well. Period. 

As I sit here, writing in St. Louis on a long-scheduled business trip, I’m struck by just how instantaneous the impact of the Dobbs case is. 

I’m in a state where on Friday morning, when I put my head back in that sink, a woman could get a safe and legal abortion. By lunch the Attorney General was on the move to implement Missouri’s “trigger ban” and by dusk clinics were permanently shuttered. 

Women seeking healthcare in the United States of America were turned away: left to fend for themselves amidst a formula shortage, a tampon shortage, and a lack of accessible, affordable childcare. Not to mention the fundamental healthcare needs and life circumstances that drew them to that clinic in the first place—a point illustrated by Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush who watched the clinic where she received an abortion after she was raped at age 17 shutter. 

The only way out is through and we must turn our anguish into action. Join me in making your rage your resolve to never stop fighting.

Randi Braun is an executive coach, consultant, speaker and the founder of Something Major.