77 pages • 2 hours read
Dorothy RobertsKilling the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1997A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Killing the Black Body by Dorothy E. Roberts examines the historical and modern infringements on the reproductive rights of African American women in the United States, spanning from the antebellum era to the 1990s. The book illustrates how federal and state policies have controlled Black women’s reproduction through coercive practices like forced sterilization, biased drug prosecutions, and welfare-linked contraceptive mandates, while highlighting the racial biases in reproductive technologies like IVF. Roberts argues for a reframing of reproductive rights to include the infrastructure for healthy pregnancies and parent-child relationships, focusing on the experiences of Black women as a central component of these discussions. The book addresses sensitive topics such as rape, drug use, sexual abuse, and medical abuse.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Dorothy Roberts' Killing the Black Body is lauded for its comprehensive exploration of the historical and contemporary reproductive oppression of Black women in America. Critics praise its thorough research and powerful narrative. However, some find its extensive detail overwhelming and the subject matter difficult to engage with emotionally.
Who Should Read Killing the Black Body?
Readers who would find Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts compelling are typically interested in race studies, reproductive justice, and gender studies. This work appeals to fans of Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow and Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me due to its critical examination of systemic oppression and its impact on Black women.