Roughly 100 abortion storytellers gathered Monday at the Eaton Hotel in Washington, D.C., to mark the third anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision—which overturned Roe v. Wade and erased the federal right to abortion. The summit, titled “Our Voices, Our Stories, Our Future,” brought together patients, providers, and advocates from 32 states. Organized by Free & Just and other reproductive justice groups, the three-day event focused on amplifying the personal stories of people affected by abortion bans.
As day one came to a close, attendees buzzed with speculation about a rumored surprise guest. When former Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on-screen, the room erupted. “I’m just so glad everyone is under one roof together,” Harris told the crowd via video. “The work that you are each doing is so important, so courageous.”
The summit included skills-building sessions to help participants publicly share their experiences—such as op-ed writing workshops and trainings on media advocacy. Harris, who has made reproductive rights central to her 2024 campaign, praised the storytellers for using their voices in a time of unprecedented restrictions.
Though she didn’t name Donald Trump directly, Harris criticized the “administration” for taking steps to further erode reproductive freedom. She cited Trump-era policies, including the reinstatement of the Hyde Amendment, a rollback of military reimbursement for abortion-related travel, and pardons for antiabortion activists who violated federal clinic access laws. More recently, the administration paused $27.5 million in Title X funding to family planning providers.
“These bans, these executive actions and funding cuts have intentionally created a health care crisis,” Harris said. “But we know that the leaders in this room are not going to stand for this.”
In a statement to Vanity Fair, Harris reflected on the Dobbs ruling: “It became clear that young women today will have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers. But even in the face of that loss, we keep fighting.”
She added, “Their voices are vital to our nation and to the ongoing fight for reproductive freedom.”
