The last weeks of Roe v. Wade? Two NC women, two voices from America’s divide on abortion

For nearly 50 years, Roe v. Wade has guaranteed the right to an abortion across the nation. That federal protection could soon vanish, however, and supporters and opponents of abortion alike have been preparing in North Carolina and throughout the rest of the country for what will come next if the question of legality is returned to the states.

A historic leak from the U.S. Supreme Court last month revealed that a majority of the high court’s justices ruling on a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after around 15 weeks had expressed support for striking down Roe, as well as the court’s subsequent decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

The news has reignited lobbying and activism on both sides of the debate, with abortion rights advocates taking to the streets in a series of marches and rallies across the country to protest the expected ruling, and opponents of abortion rejoicing at the prospect of Roe being gutted, and pushing lawmakers to begin introducing more restrictive abortion laws.

Ahead of the Supreme Court’s decision, which is expected this month, The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer spoke with two women who have dedicated several years of their lives to advocating for opposite sides of the debate, and whose personal experiences with pregnancy and abortion have fundamentally shaped how they view and think about the issue.

One woman is a retired fundraiser for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. Marcie Shealy joined PPSA in 2013, and by the time she retired in 2020, Shealy had helped open a new multi-million dollar clinic in Charlotte. Read Shealy’s story to learn how three abortions paved the way for her to bring abortion care to the Queen City.

The other woman runs her own Christian pregnancy centers in the Triangle. Tonya Baker Nelson was opposed to abortion from the moment she learned what it was, and has fought it ever since. Read Nelson’s story to learn how her unplanned pregnancy changed her life and solidified her belief that abortion was something that should be completely outlawed.

This story was originally published June 12, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "The last weeks of Roe v. Wade? Two NC women, two voices from America’s divide on abortion."