As a public health major, two topics that have always interested me are women’s health and overall reproductive health. With these two topics in mind, I think of a brave, inspirational woman named Faye Wattleton.
Faye Wattleton was the first Black woman and the youngest president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Wattleton served this role from 1978 to 1992 and founded the Planned Parenthood Action Fund in 1989, which works to advance access to sexual health care and defend reproductive rights.
She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Ohio State University in 1964 and earned a Master of Science in midwifery and maternal and infant health from Columbia University. With her work in healthcare, she was able to see the lack of access to reproductive care within her community, which led her to become a leader in reproductive rights and join Planned Parenthood as the Executive Director of Dayton-Miami Valley at the age of 27 in 1970.
When Roe v. Wade was being upheld by the Supreme Court in 1973, the debate over abortion rights was on the rise. As a result, there were personal threats to Wattleton and health workers in Planned Parenthood clinics across the country as well as shootings, fires, and bomb threats.
Regardless of these challenges, she had never backed down from what she believed about reproductive freedom for women, including abortion. She said that “sustaining change is sometimes more difficult than creating change,” and she urged the Planned Parenthood Federation to greater political activism and to not take women’s rights for granted.
Wattleton resigned from her role as president in 1992 and wrote an autobiography, “Life on the Line”, where she spoke about her beliefs and what created them. With her leadership, she was able to create an extensive advocacy network to develop a powerful lobbying force to protect women’s rights relating to reproductive choice.
She went on to host a TV talk show about women’s rights and created the Center for the Advancement of Women, which is a nonprofit organization that conducts research for public education and policy advocacy for women. Currently, Wattleton is the co-founder and director of EeroQ Quantum Computing.
Reproductive rights and choice are extremely important, and without Wattleton’s achievements, women may not have had choices on whether or not they would like to have children. Having reproductive choice ensures that individuals have the freedom, support, and resources to make informed decisions about their reproductive health, which is essential for their well-being.
During Black History Month, let’s honor Faye Wattleton’s legacy in women’s reproductive rights. Who are some of your favorite black activists? Let us know @HerCampusSJSU!