“Whose nation are we talking about?": RPL Webinar Discusses Reproductive Healthcare Access and White Nationalism
An image by Tony Hammond
The Religion and Public Life program at Harvard Divinity School hosted a webinar on reproductive healthcare access and white nationalism this past Tuesday evening.
The webinar was the third in a four-part webinar series titled, “Religion and Democratic Ideals.” The series focuses on the exploration of democratic ideals and the pursuit of just peace by engaging in thoughtful discussions along four different avenues. Each of these avenues offers insights into the relationship between religion, democracy, and just peace. The discussion was moderated by Assistant Dean for Religion and Public Life, Hussein Rashid. He was joined by Twanna Hines, the founder of Funky Brown Chick, and Melissa Deckman, the CEO of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI).
Deckman led the conversation by highlighting the significance of understanding public opinion on reproductive healthcare access, particularly in a representative democracy where public attitudes shape key policy decisions. She stressed that “understanding the pulse of American public opinion is about trying to understand larger trends in society and people’s attitudes about these policies that affect all of us on a day-to-day basis.”
Drawing on PRRI’s research, Deckman stated that 64% of Americans support legal access to abortion in most or all cases, despite recent policy shifts. She also moved to the topic of Christian nationalism, explaining it as an ideology that seeks to maintain the U.S. as an explicitly Christian nation. PRRI’s data shows that while only a small fraction of Americans fully supports this view, it plays a significant role in current political movements, particularly in discussions on reproductive rights.
Hines continued the discussion by reflecting on the historical precedents of reproductive rights and civil liberties that bring to the forefront a critical examination of the American legal and cultural landscape. She drew from legal battles such as the Dredd Scott decision and the overturning of Roe, and linked it to the ongoing struggle for the recognition of personhood and rights, expanding on a fundamental question: “Whose nation are we talking about?" Through each case she discussed, Hines emphasized how hard-won the protections under the 14th Amendment have been, urging us to reconsider their fragility. This led into another crucial question that she posed:
"Are we living in an 1857 Dredd Scott kind of country, where the nation only includes a select few... or in a 14th Amendment, 1868 kind of country, where if we’re American, we’re all American, and we all have equal rights?"
The discussion concluded with both Hines and Deckman encouraging active engagement in the conversation surrounding reproductive rights and justice. Hines called for an inclusive landscape that authentically represents diverse communities. Deckman reinforced this sentiment, highlighting the critical role that public understanding plays in shaping policy. In her closing remarks, she encouraged the audience to actively engage with research and data, stating:
“In an age that is really just mired in a lot of disinformation, just having access to what Americans truly believe is important.”