Each year the JBL Awards recognize individuals who exhibit a deep commitment to social justice and who would likely not be recognized through other channels. The issues and geographic areas in which we make awards vary from year to year. We select individuals because we believe the activism of one person can meaningfully shape significant social change.
In 2022, the JBL Awards will recognize Heroes of Reproductive Justice: individuals who organize at the intersection of reproductive health and civic engagement in states outlawing – or that have already outlawed – access to reproductive health. We believe reproductive justice goes beyond the pro-choice/pro-life debate and has three primary principles: (1) the right not to have a child; (2) the right to have a child; and (3) the right to parent children in safe and healthy environments. The awardees will be grassroots advocates who are working diligently in key states and collaborating with others to:
- Organize communities to access reproductive health;
- Educate birthing people deprived of access to health care about how to engage in the electoral process;
- Bridge the gap between communities historically marginalized from reproductive healthcare and those who make policy.