In the 1972 the death penalty was briefly abolished by the Supreme Court case Furman v. Georgia, before swiftly being reintroduced by the Supreme Court in the case Gregg v. Georgia. This thesis...Show moreIn the 1972 the death penalty was briefly abolished by the Supreme Court case Furman v. Georgia, before swiftly being reintroduced by the Supreme Court in the case Gregg v. Georgia. This thesis argues that in both cases the Supreme Court wanted to protect the states’ autonomy to decide over their criminal justice repertoire, including the death penalty. As a result, the 1972 abolition was easily overruled by the Gregg case that caused the reintroduction. For these cases, states’ rights was a central issue, and both cases could be seen as an early adoption of the 1980s legal philosophy of New Federalism, in which more power was granted to the states that had initially been the responsibility of the federal government. These cases provide a clear look into the issue of states’ rights and their link to Supreme Court challenges during 1970s America.Show less
In the United States, the abortion rate of black women is almost five times higher than for white women. The black pro-life movement preaches against abortion by claiming it is a tool for black...Show moreIn the United States, the abortion rate of black women is almost five times higher than for white women. The black pro-life movement preaches against abortion by claiming it is a tool for black genocide, committed by the largest abortion provider Planned Parenthood. They argue that abortions are marketed towards minority communities as part of population control policies. By linking abortion to racism, black pro-life organizations have combined racial justice activism with pro-life activism. This study focuses on two major black pro-life organizations: LEARN, founded by Reverend Clenard Childress, and The Radiance Foundation, founded by Ryan Scott Bomberger. By analyzing their online content on websites, social media and other online appearances, this thesis sets forth an analysis of the organizations’ positioning towards other racial justice activism movements such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Lives Matter Movement. The black pro-life organizations position themselves significantly more positively towards the Civil Rights Movement than the Black Lives Matter Movement. Due to overlapping religious ideology, the black pro-life organizations align their own racial justice activism with the Civil Rights Movement and frame themselves as the true civil rights successors. The Black Lives Matter Movement is not faith-based, more radically pro-abortion, and adheres to fundamentally different principles than the conservative pro-life organizations, resulting in the black pro-life movement rejecting the Black Lives Matter racial justice activism as hypocritical and contradictory to the civil rights legacy.Show less
