(aka, JANE Collective)
We are deeply honored to celebrate the work of the heroic women who formed and operated an underground abortion service in Chicago when abortion was illegal with no exceptions in most states. The women of the JANE Collective provided life-saving services from 1969-1973 to over 11,000 women despite the fact that Illinois law considered abortion a felony. The group not only provided safe abortions, but treated the people they served with respect and support. In 1972, one of the JANE Collective apartments was raided by police. Seven members of the collective were arrested and charged with crimes carrying a maximum prison sentence of 110 years. When the Supreme Court struck down most abortion restrictions with their Roe V Wade decision in 1973, the charges against the JANE Collective were dropped.
With Roe v Wade overturned, the words of Heather Booth, the founder of the JANE Collective and the Midwest Academy are heartbreakingly poignant, “in the face of an unjust law, you need to take action to challenge it.”
To read about the other honorees, click below:
For their visionary and powerful climate justice work:
- Sunrise Movement, accepted by Executive Director Varshini Prakash
- Climate Justice Alliance, accepted by co-director, Ozawa Bineshi Albert
For their life-changing reproductive freedom work:
For their tireless work to enact economic justice:
- 9to5 & 925 SEIU, accepted by Ellen Cassedy, Karen Nussbaum and other leaders from 9to5
- Starbucks Workers United
Presenting Sponsor
Direct Action Sponsor
Strategy Sponsor
Progressive Sponsors
Champions of Justice Sponsors
Norbert Goldfield
Megan Hull
Friends of the Academy Sponsors
Heather Booth*
Jeff Blum & Ellen Cassedy
Everett Foundation
Cathy Hurwit
Jackie Kendall*
Kweli Kitwana
Mike Lux and Barbara Laur
David Medina* & Tim DeMagistris
Eddy Morales* & Hugh Harris
Nick Nyhart & Kathleen McTigue
Public Citizen
Karen Thomas**
*Current Board member
**Former Executive Director