1) What are the main ideas and/or questions in the article as they relate to the chosen topic?Bridgewater (2009) argues that an understanding of reproductive justice and implications of its regulations in the United States requires more than just a thorough understanding of the laws that govern reproductive rights, but also a very good understanding of the history of slavery. Experiences of slavery and reproductive oppression, particularly against women of color in the United States, fueled the movement for reproductive rights. The lack of freedom in reproductive rights and decisions has subjected women of color to racism and sexism, creating stereotypes that they cannot control their reproductive bodies. Bridgewater's methodology was to use the act of storytelling about the experiences of victims of reproductive injustice to strengthen the efforts of women of color in advocating for justice for their reproductive rights. The author believes that telling these stories and experiences will place them in the context of the law, thus also helping to resolve issues of racial or gender discrimination. For example, Bridgewater (2009) talked about three poor, illiterate black women who did not receive proper care due to their status as slaves.2) Based on reading your textbook, what Who makes these ideas and/or questions so important to understand? According to Silliman et al. (2004), Women of color in the United States negotiate their rights within a system that combines various interlocking forms of oppression. Some of the different forms of oppression highlighted by Silliman et al. (2004) are poverty, racism, environmental degradation, and injustice in the United States. These oppressive factors prevent women of color from exercising their rights...... middle of paper ... their productive rights to choose when and how many children they choose to have. Some of the recorded deaths were also due to limited choice of reliable means of abortion due to poverty. Like everyone else in society, women of color also deserve the freedom to enjoy their reproductive rights, to choose between maintaining a pregnancy or having an abortion, as this shapes their reproductive choices and their rights as a woman. Women of color have directed their efforts toward eliminating racial stereotypes and fighting government policies that undermine reproductive rights. Works Cited Pamela, Bridgewater. “Legal Histories and the Promise of Problematizing Reproductive Rights.” Law and literature. 21.3 (2009): 402-414. Print. Silliman et al. “Women of Color and Their Struggle for Reproductive Justice.” Women's voices, feminist visions. Ed. Shaw and Lee. McGraw-Hill, 2013. 340-345