“Da Art of (Abortion) Storytellin”

Black women have approached and continue to approach the topic of reproductive justice with equal parts nuance, care, and play. The candid way in which contemporary Black women rappers express their experiences with abortion and reproductive care sets up the grounds upon which this article stands. In this article, I explore Black popular music by artists such as Digable Planets, Coco Peila, Lauryn Hill, and Noname to examine the presence of reproductive justice and bodily autonomy. I argue that Black musical artists use storytelling as a method to lay claim to their personal agency and provide nuance to the divisive nature of the politics of abortion. Additionally, the focus on storytelling offers individual listeners both healing and communal connection. Drawing on Black feminist theory, hip-hop feminism, and sound studies, I contend that these songs fall into three forms: the anthem, the testimony, and the elegy. I identify these songwriting styles as contributing to a larger history of Black artists, especially Black women, using music as a form of political protest and struggle. These diverse forms offer complexity to “abortion stories” and create a new kind of protest music—one filled with a Black feminist ethic of care and sociopolitical resistance

Active listening · Agency (philosophy) · Black feminism · Black music · Economic Justice · Popular music · Reproductive justice · Storytelling · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Music History and Culture · Rhetoric and Communication Studies