Trey Kay, Matthew Hancock, Maria Young Published

Us & Them: They’ve Been Here Before

A black background featuring a stain glass window in a church. Atop the black background are the words, "Us & Them: They've Been Here Before. Once again, left-leaning clergy are helping women and girls with reproductive barriers."
Listen

With the start of 2025, legislators in some states are determined to pass even tighter abortion restrictions. 

In the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, more than 40 states have passed abortion bans — some with very limited exceptions. Abortion rights advocates are equally determined to expand access to reproductive care, and many are revisiting lessons from half a century ago, before legal abortion was guaranteed.

On the next episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay hears from retired Episcopal priest Jim Lewis, who decades ago joined a network of “Religious Left” clergy to help women navigate pre-Roe barriers. Kay also speaks with Margaret Chapman-Pomponio, executive director of West Virginia FREE, about how supporters of reproductive rights are preparing for a new era of advocacy, even as anti-abortion advocates urge a Republican majority in Congress to tighten medication regulations and enact a federal abortion ban.

This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the CRC Foundation.

Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond.

An elderly man holds hands with a woman with brown hair. Behind them is a sign that reads, "Rebooting the CCS." The woman is also holding a travel mug that says, "FREE" on it.
The Rev. Jim Lewis, left, and Margaret Chapman-Pomponio, right, at a convention in New Orleans, La., for the Spiritual Alliance of Churches for Reproductive Dignity. Lewis is a retired Episcopal priest who has championed social justice issues for more than a half-century. Before the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, he was part of the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion — a coalition that referred women from states where abortion was illegal to providers in New York, where the procedure was legal. Chapman-Pomponio is the executive director of West Virginia Free, an abortion rights and reproductive health advocacy nonprofit.

Photo Credit: Margaret Chapman-Pomponio

Other WVPB reports on the subject of abortion:

Tags Related to This Article

Related News

Government WVPB Staff,

Senate Approves Vaccine Exemptions And Reporter Roundtable Talks Education, Health

On this episode of The Legislature Today, in the Senate Friday, lawmakers approved a bill that would allow for broad vaccine exemptions. Also, in our weekly roundtable, reporters discuss the biggest news of the week.

Continue Reading Take Me to More News
Arts & Culture Bill Lynch +,

Amythyst Kiah, Black Hair Salons And Poetry, Inside Appalachia

This week on Inside Appalachia, we talk with East Tennessee’s Amythyst Kiah. Her new album contemplates the cosmos. Also, hair salons are important gathering places where Black women can find community. And West Virginia poet Torli Bush uses story to tackle tough subjects.

Continue Reading Take Me to More News
Government WVPB Staff,

Hanshaw Outlines Legislative Priorities And The Cultural Importance Of Hair Salons, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, House Speaker Roger Hanshaw is eyeing education, PEIA and the foster care system this session, and Inside Appalachia explores the importance of Black hair salons.

Continue Reading Take Me to More News
Government WVPB Staff,

House Speaker Hanshaw Shares Goals For Education, PEIA And Foster Care

On this episode of The Legislature Today, News Director Eric Douglas speaks with House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay. They discuss a number of issues including education, flooding in southern West Virginia and the crisis in foster care in the state.

Continue Reading Take Me to More News