Messages from the President | Roe v. Wade

6-27-22 Roe v. Wade

Friday’s decision by the Supreme Court to overturn 50 years of precedent in Roe v. Wade dealt a striking blow to equitable access to reproductive health for us all.

It is stunningly difficult to comprehend the deliberate unraveling of human rights presently taking place in the United States of America. In several states, such as Texas, gender affirming care is barred in addition to new abortion bans. The barring of the human right to abortion and gender affirming care is horrendous enough, but made that much worse by their criminalization.

Our location in Ohio means that while we have not yet been denied access to abortions, those of us who live here will continue to experience a ban on abortion after about 6 weeks, or when a fetal heartbeat can be detected, but we should expect to see increased attempts that will limit peoples access to abortion and criminalize those needing one and the providers who support them.

I want to assure you that Antioch College will continue to support, educate, and care for our students in the areas of health and wellness, including providing assistance to access reproductive health care. Our focus on wellness is centered on this very concept.

All of this, however, is of little consolation to a student body and alumni community dispersed so widely across a nation and world that is now further divided than ever before. Now is the moment where our radical history and values are more critical than ever before, our curriculum and community organizing teachings will be critical in the fight ahead of us, and I am honored to lift this work up.

Antioch College will stay the course. We will not relent in the face of adversity. As Emmett Schelling spoke at commencement, we are prepared to deal with genuine trauma or adversity. And, as a college, we have a history of facing difficult topics head on.

Take good care,

Jane Fernandes
Pronouns: she, they
President
Antioch College