ROE V. WADE: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

with Joshua Prager and Alison Dagnes

Thursday, October 20th | 7pm

On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States conferred the right to have an abortion. One of the most divisive cases in the history of the Supreme Court, Roe V. Wade sparked one of America’s most historic debates: the right to choose or the right to life.

Now, almost half-a-century-later, the U.S. Supreme Court officially reversed Roe v. Wade, declaring that the constitutional right to abortion no longer exists. In this discussion, Pulitzer Prize-finalist Joshua Prager and political scientist Alison Dagnes discuss the history of America’s most famous case and the unknown lives at its heart, the present historic moment, and what it means for our future.

This event is free and open to the public. All events will take place at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore. Seating is general admission; first come, first served. Registration, masks, and proof of vaccination are not required for this event. A public book signing will immediately follow the discussion. Purchasing an author’s new or previously published book from the Midtown Scholar Bookstore is required for entry to the signing line. (Additional copies of a book, purchased elsewhere, may also be signed if time permits). Sales receipt or proof of purchase will need to be presented to staff at the entrance to the signings.

Featured Book: The Family Roe: An American Story by Joshua Prager

About the Speakers

For more than twenty years, Joshua Prager, a former senior writer for The Wall Street Journal, has written about historical secrets—revealing all from the hidden scheme that led to baseball’s most famous moment (Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard Round the World”) to the only-ever anonymous recipient of a Pulitzer Prize (a photographer he tracked down in Iran). His work, described by George Will as “exemplary journalistic sleuthing,” has shed new light on our cultural touchstones. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters.

Alison Dagnes is Professor of Political Science at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. She is the author of three books about political media:  Super Mad at Everything All the Time (2019), A Conservative Walks Into a Bar (2012) and Politics on Demand. She is a former C-SPAN producer and is frequently interviewed in the national and international press about American politics and political media. Dr. Dagnes received her doctorate in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.