“Podcasts like The A-Files are crucial not just for women who have had abortions but for all women who are searching for education on the matter and seeking bodily autonomy. Without the proper knowledge, we are at risk of passing down ideologies to the next generation that could negatively affect how we, as Black women, see ourselves in society when it comes to having children. The A-Files hosts are seeking to address that as well.”

“Obviously, the state of abortion rights in the U.S. is fairly bleak right now, and some of the revelations Bracey Sherman and Mahone deliver will leave you even more outraged. But throughout, their chemistry keeps The A Files an enjoyable, refreshing listen from start to finish.”

“While conversations about abortions among the people who have them often happen in private, Mahone and Bracey Sherman are dedicated to bringing those conversations into the light in hopes of normalizing both the topic and the conversations that so many friends like them have.”

“Let us be clear: No, your liberal state is not an abortion safe haven. There is no state where abortion is available to everyone who needs it free from unnecessary financial, logistical and legal barriers. Even in states where abortion is legally permitted later in pregnancy, people still have to travel across the country for care.”

“Arguing these systemic issues can be solved with adoption or family separation is not only misleading, it distracts from the ways in which the U.S. government has harmed marginalized people and forcibly separated families under the guise of what some politicians believe is best for the children: rehoming them into non-familial situations, typically heterosexual, white, wealthy, two-parent families.”

“If we’re being honest, no one election will fix what’s already broken. It’s painful but true in a heavily gerrymandered voting system. That doesn’t mean we stop working to curtail voter suppression efforts.”

“Far too often, books written by and about people of color or LGBTQ+ people are overlooked, including those with depictions of abortion. Instead, audiences tend to look toward depictions of white women seeking care in dire situations, because they’re seen as sympathetic, urgent, and worthy of care, and because it can be easier to lose yourself in a dystopian world about what might happen rather than looking at what’s actually happening to Black and brown people all around you.”

Actress Kerry Washington recommends our Cosmo article!

Check out all of the books we recommend on The A Files: A Secret History of Abortion and in our ELLE Magazine feature!