Killing the black body

I read the 2020 version that has an updated preface, which spends some time reviewing developments since this book's original publication. That certainly helps set the stage, although I do wish some of the language in the book was also updated since some of it hasn't aged well. However, this is still an important investigation of the control, regulation, and cultural interpretation of Black reproduction over US history, with most of the focus on the 1980-1997 era. Roberts shows over and over how a combination of intentional policy choices and a complete lack of political will to deal with the underlying causes of poor Black maternal health and economic conditions has led to appalling outcomes for Black mothers and their families. It's all the more painful reading this today, because not only have we failed to deal with these issues, but also the meticulous legal analysis that Roberts provides here relies on case law which has since been overturned and the fact that the rule of law in the US has perilously crumbled, to the point where reasoned analysis is secondary to the political desires of the Supreme Court's extreme members. Despite that, one hopes that eventually these lessons can be applied once we as a society decide it's time to truly deliver justice and reform our entire system for the better. Highly recommend