S2 E2: The Fight for Reproductive Freedom with The Center for Reproductive Rights

The Negative Space

S2 E2: The Fight for Reproductive Freedom with The Center for Reproductive Rights

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What does advocacy look like when the rules keep changing?

In this episode of The Negative Space, host Patricia McLoughlin sits down with Julia Taylor Kennedy, Senior Director of Corporate Engagement at the Center for Reproductive Rights, to discuss how the fight for reproductive freedom has evolved in the four years since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision.

As abortion access continues to vary dramatically from state to state, the consequences extend far beyond healthcare. Julia shares how restrictions are reshaping where people live, work, start families, and build careers—and why employers are increasingly finding themselves at the center of these conversations.

Together, Patricia and Julia explore The Price of Safety, a report that combines economic research with personal stories to reveal the real-world costs of reproductive healthcare restrictions. They discuss why storytelling remains one of the most powerful tools for advocacy, how organizations are adapting to changing media consumption habits, and what it takes to keep people engaged in an issue that can often feel overwhelming.

The conversation also examines the growing challenges of misinformation, the importance of trusted messengers, and why local action continues to drive meaningful progress. Through it all, Julia offers a hopeful reminder that change is possible—and that everyone has a role to play.

In a moment when many people feel exhausted by the headlines, this conversation is a call to find your way in, use your strengths, and keep showing up.

In this episode:

How the reproductive rights landscape has changed since the Dobbs decision
Why reproductive healthcare access has become a workplace and economic issue
The stories and data behind The Price of Safety report
How organizations are using storytelling to build understanding and drive action
The rise of maternity care deserts and their impact on communities nationwide
Why trusted messengers matter more than ever in today’s information environment
Practical ways individuals, advocates, and businesses can support reproductive freedom

Resources

The Center for Reproductive Rights

The Anthem Awards

Set the new standard for good and enter your impact work into the Anthem Awards before July 31st!

Transcript

Patagonia – Don’t Buy This Jacket

Patagonia has put social impact at the core of their brand mission and values from the start, and their iconic Don’t Buy This Jacket campaign demonstrates how brands can use their platform to make an impact — or better yet, to help reduce our impact. This 2011 ad ran in the New York Times on Black Friday, making a lasting impression for its bold message addressing the issue of consumerism head on and asking readers to take the Common Threads Initiative pledge to reduce, repair, reuse, recycle, and reimagine a world where we take only what nature can replace.

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NEWS & ANNONCEMENTS

Ad Council’s Love Has No Labels Movement

Love Has No Labels is a movement by The Ad Council to promote diversity, equity and inclusion of all people across race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age and ability.

Read our Q&A with Heidi Arthur, the Ad Council’s Chief Campaign Development Officer on the team behind LHNL collaborates with partners to combat implicit bias—from crafting PSAs to driving viewers to take action, to how brands and companies should approach corporate social responsibility with authenticity.

Features