SUNY Purchase hosts reproductive justice garden with abortion-inducing plants

The State University of New York at Purchase has established a ‘Reproductive Justice Garden’ on its campus. The garden, located near the Richard and Dolly Maass Gallery, features various plants that have historical associations with inducing abortions, including black cohosh, angelica, wormwood, mugwort, hyssop, and wood sorrel.

The installation is part of a project by the art collective ‘How to Perform an Abortion,’ which conducts workshops at various colleges and venues across the United States. The group states the project aims to ‘demystify the historical, biological, and ethical stories surrounding abortion.’ The garden space is organized into themed areas, such as a mental health garden, a menstruation garden, and a pregnancy/gestation garden.

The project has drawn criticism from Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America. Hawkins argued that a taxpayer-supported institution should not allow a club to prioritize such activities, expressing concerns regarding the potential harm to animals and fetuses.