On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court released its Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, now overturned by the 2022 Dobbs decision. This episode of the Old Mole looks at the history of abortion access in Portland and at the broader context of reproductive justice, including problems arising from capitalism, imperialism, and racism, as well as modes of
Born in 1872 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Marie Equi grew up in a working-class immigrant family and labored in the town’s textile mills to help support the family. As a young woman, she self-studied her way into medical school and received her degree in 1903. But her life took a hard left into radical politics after she made her way to Oregon.