Nourbese Flint is Empowering Voters of Color to Bring Their Power to the Polls for Bodily Autonomy.
This week, FEMINIST sat down with Nourbese Flint, President of All*Above All, to delve into strategies for achieving abortion justice and strengthening the political influence of voters of color.
Nourbese Flint @nourbese
is President of All* Above All and All* Above All Action Fund, leading All* Above All’s work to achieve abortion justice and build the political power of voters of color.
Prior to coming to All* Above All, she was the Senior Director of Black Engagement at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, where she worked on the strategic partnership to strengthen Planned Parenthood’s relationships within existing racial justice, reproductive justice, Black serving and civil rights organizations.
Before coming east, Nourbese served as the founding Executive Director of Black Women for Wellness Action Project, the first Black women’s reproductive justice 501c4 organization in the country, and successfully led campaign efforts to get progressive candidates into office. She also served as policy director and led civic engagement efforts for Black Women for Wellness Action Project’s sister organization, Black Women for Wellness.
Nourbese is a founding member of Trust Black Women, a national coalition dedicated to increasing respect and support of Black Women, and is one of the founding members of the Black Women’s Democratic Club. She has been featured in MSNBC, CalMatters, Newsweek, and more.
What does being a feminist mean to you?
I subscribe to a particular brand of feminism, one that is steeped in afro-futurism, activism, Black feminism, human rights, and hood culture. It means to believe and fight for deep equity, that women and femmes get to live and thrive outloud, that Black women and femmes are in the future, that you don’t have to conform to other people’s ideas of gender. I think of feminism as both who I am, and something that I must live into constantly. That it can hold contradictions, that I can lean into being a great mom and a bad ass at work, that I can deeply believe in equity and also appreciate someone holding a door open for me. Feminism is both a theology in which my ancestors lived before there were words to describe their activism and hope, and their wildest imaginations of the future yet seen. I think of feminism as authenticity, a battle for a world where people of color are seen, that our voices are heard, our needs are met and our progressive imaginations are manifest.
What do you think are the most important issues to pay attention to in the upcoming U.S. federal election?
I think over the last two presidential elections there is a deep battle over the future of the country, our values and dreams. Abortion access is front and center, but I think it’s important to understand what abortion access is a proxy for. It is fundamentally a conversation about if we can control our bodies, our futures, how, when and whether we can create families and choose our own destinies. Whether it’s abortion access, pay equity, child care, democracy or civil rights, it all boils down to the same key issue, do we have a right to determine our futures.
At All* Above All, you focus on building the political power of voters of color. Why is it important to empower voters of color, especially this election year?
It boils down to because we matter. It's important that we are not only at the table but part of the construction of the menu of what is served up to the American people. People of color make up nearly a third of eligible voters - we now have the power to completely overhaul our nation and work towards building a future rooted in the framework of reproductive justice. This presidential election is one of the most consequential moments in recent history and voters have the power to reclaim what abortion access is and should look like. A recent poll we worked on at All* Above All found that more than 9 in 10 Black men (91%) oppose government interference in abortion decisions. With so many issues, like abortion, impacting millions, it’s essential that we know as voters of color have the potential to transform laws and policies.
As Executive Director of the Black Women for Wellness Action Project, you have experience leading campaigns to get progressive candidates into office. How can we all take action to help progressive candidates get elected in this upcoming election?
The very first thing I say to folks wanting to take action is to find an organization that shares your political ideologies, and doing good work with the communities you care about. Building a future where everyone is able to live and thrive is a long term game that requires years of strategy, sweat and collaboration. We can’t do it by ourselves, we have to find joy in the work for our longevity and it's going to take time. There are organizations all over this country, really the world, that are doing the good work to change the world, and have a plan they just need the people power. As for us, All* Above All has launched two political entities, All In Action Fund and All Action PAC with the goal of expanding our galvanizing political power around abortion justice.
You have been involved in reproductive justice advocacy for several years, from working on partnerships at Planned Parenthood to your current role at All* Above All. In what ways have you seen reproductive freedoms shift in America and around the world since Roe v. Wade was overturned?
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned 25 million women now live in states with abortion bans or restrictions, stripping them of the right to choose what happens to their bodies. While the ruling was a seismic shift in access and autonomy - Roe was the floor and true abortion justice is the ceiling that I’m looking to shatter.
All* Above All worked with partners across the repro field to introduce Abortion Justice Act, a groundbreaking piece of legislation that tackles many of the issues that were hampering people’s ability to get access to abortions that are affordable, available and accessible.
The Dobbs decision snapped folks into the reality that core freedoms are at stake. We saw folks across the country saying very loudly with their voices and their votes on ballot measures and elections that abortion is a core right that people should have access to.
I’m excited that people are taking a more intersectional approach to abortion access. I'm excited to see more people of color, particularly many badass women of color taking the reins to lead in this moment which is incredibly different than even five years ago.
I think the biggest change we’ve seen is the seismic shift in our political realities, and even though the majority of folks believe in abortion justice, believe in the values that are centered in people, that we are losing when it comes to people's lies getting better. I’m pretty focused on building the political and people power to have a tangible impact on people’s lives, which is my dream for the movement.
Intersectionality seems to be heavily interwoven through your advocacy work. Can you explain how you see racial justice and reproductive justice being intertwined?
Intersectionality is the centerpiece of reproductive justice. Reproductive justice was started by 12 Black women who centered the conversation around reproductive health in a humanity rights framework. To achieve reproductive justice, racial biases and any other exclusionary practices cannot coexist. Our country cannot attain reproductive justice until we address systemic inequalities like access to paid family leave, childcare, affordable housing, and many other essential resources. We must ensure that all individuals, regardless of their racial or ethnic background, have equity in access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including the right to safe, affordable and legal abortion. Reproductive justice empowers people, particularly women, giving them the ability to think of their whole bodies, whole lives in whether, if, when and how to create a family and raise that family in safe and sustainable communities with dignity.
In advocating for Black women and BIPOC leaders to occupy central roles within the current reproductive justice movement, what strategies do you propose to ensure our voices are not only heard but actively prioritized in shaping policies and initiatives?
Lived experiences and perspectives have the potential to transform policies across the country. Those closest to the problem are often closest to the solution and need the resources to make it happen. For Black women leading movements and driving impact, I encourage all of us to build on strategies that elevate individuals who understand our issues at the most personal level and empower them to reclaim their voices. They should be in the rooms where decisions are made, reminding themselves that their stories can change hearts and minds. Finally, I think it’s important for us to be comfortable building power, and wielding it on behalf of making a better future for our communities. I don’t shy away on building the strategy, power, tactics, and resources needed to make an impact. Our communities count on us, and I don’t take that lightly.
What steps can we as individuals take to restore and protect abortion rights in the United States?
Restoring and protecting abortion rights is far beyond any decision that the Supreme Court should make. The true power lies within the millions of advocates across the country who are reimagining a future that doesn't exist yet but has the potential to be built. This is a future rooted in equity and justice — one that provides women with autonomy and dignity over their own bodies. For anyone interested in supporting abortion rights across the United States, I encourage them to vote like their future depends on it because it does. I urge anyone who is impacted by unjust abortion laws to join our movement and amplify the reproductive justice framework that was built and developed by Black women leading the charge in fighting for a world where women have the right to choose what they do with their own bodies.
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