The 3rd Annual UCRJ Week
April 7-13, 2025
We are planning the 3rd annual UCRJ Week with more urgency than ever as the foundations of the Reproductive Justice vision are being challenged throughout the nation. The right to bodily autonomy has been undermined through executive action and state legislation. Fewer people are afforded the choice of whether to have children or not have children. Cuts to the federal workforce, the halting of funding to crucial research, and threats to federal programs will impact all of us, further threatening our ability to raise our families in safe and sustainable communities. This week of events is designed to bring us together to learn more about reproductive justice work and find ways to act.
COMMUNITY IS POWER!
We hope you will join us during UCRJ Week 2025 in whatever way works for you. Attend an event in person and meet fellow local activists. Participate in an online workshop and leave with concrete ways to take action on the issues most important to you. Bring your friends and family to the Health Fair at the Square to learn about the amazing resources in our community. Join us at the Rose Bowl to dance and find joy, and to raise money for birth justice. However you decide to show up, we welcome you and look forward to more collaborative action to one day achieve our dream of reproductive justice for all.
For more information or to get involved directly, email Julie at julie@ucrj.org
UCRJ Week Fundraiser
Donations to benefit UCRJ and the CU Birth Fund.
Schedule of Events
MONDAY, APRIL 7
Noon - 1:20pm: "Legal Challenges to Bodily Autonomy" sponsored by If/When/How at the University of Illinois College of Law - Max L. Rowe Auditorium
Moderator: Professor Lesley Wexler, University of Illinois Law School
Panelists: Mike B., Director, Elevated Access; Dr. Neha Bhardwaj, OBGYN, University of Chicago; Professor Kara Ingelhart, Director of the LGBTQI+ Rights Clinic, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law; Stephen Stetson, State Director, Alabama Planned Parenthood; and Allison Siebeneck, Senior Supervising Attorney, ACLU of Illinois
TUESDAY, APRIL 8
6:30pm CT (virtual): "Crisis Pregnancy Centers: A Threat to Public Health & Reproductive Justice" with Reproductive Transparency Now. Registration required: bit.ly/ucrj25-rtn
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9
4pm: “How to Read Supreme Court Decisions” workshop with Sydney Turner and Amie Baumeister at the Women's Resources Center (WRC)
6:30pm CT (virtual): "Self-Managed Abortion - A Primer" with Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights and UCRJ. Registration required: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0jUaJOkeR_qysMwtAUolyw.
THURSDAY, APRIL 10
Noon-1:10pm: "Red, Blue, Misconstrue: Risk of Prosecution, the Overlooking of Exceptions, and the Need for Something New" - research presentation on abortion exceptions and misconceptions with Robin Fretwell Wilson (Mildred Van Voorhis Jones Chair, co-director/founder of the College of Law’s Family Law and Policy Program, and co-director of the Epstein Health Law and Policy Program) at the University of Illinois College of Law - Max L. Rowe Auditorium
6pm: "Cookies & Contraception" with U of Illinois Medical Students in the auditorium of the Medical Sciences Building (506 South Mathews Ave, Urbana)
7pm: "Is it a Girl or a Boy? Understanding the Ambiguous Genetics of Sex" with medical geneticist Dr. CM Laukaitis (MD, PhD) at Axe Bar
FRIDAY, APRIL 11
Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17)
9am - 3:00pm: "Exercising Choice: Advancing Reproductive Justice and Abortion in Healthcare" by the RADIANT Fellowship (Reproductive Advocacy and Diversity in Advanced Nursing Training) at the College of Nursing in Champaign (Lunch provided with registration)
Registration required: https://uic.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6XTAPSYJKVUfsFM
Noon-1:30pm: "Staying safe against fascist tech" a workshop with Jake McGinty at the Channing-Murray Foundation (Light lunch provided)
3pm*-5pm: Abortion Care Bag Packaging
Come pack up supplies for patients to receive after their abortion. Take some action! at College of Nursing
(The packing event will immediate follow the RADIANT Fellowship event (see above). You do not have to attend the all-day event to come out and help!)
6pm-8pm: "CONNECTION. COMMUNITY. COALITION." at The Literary. Feeling alone in the struggle? So are we. So we’re doing something about it. Join us for light bites and structured engagement activities designed to inspire action. RSVP requested: https://bit.ly/UCRJ-Week-PPIL-Mixer
SATURDAY, APRIL 12
8am-noon: Healthy Families Fair! Come one, come all to a health and community resources fair at Lincoln Square Mall. Free raffle, giveaways, kids activities, family-friendly. All are welcome!
1:30-3:00pm: "Celebrating Gender Diversity: Moving Toward Advocacy" a presentation by Chris Mosier Team USA Athlete and founder of Transathlete.com at Spurlock Auditorium
SUNDAY, APRIL 13
6-9pm: Party for Reproductive Justice! at The Rose Bowl.
6pm - Paul Kotheimer
6:45pm - KayBuzz & Uri
7:30pm - J'Lyn Hope
8:15pm - New Souls
Pay as you can at the door. Funds raised will support UCRJ and the CU Birth Fund.
THANK YOU TO THIS YEAR'S
UCRJ WEEK SPONSORS!
