"They Don't Trust Pro-Life People"

California Catholic Daily ^ | 4/10/07

[Antoninus]

Does the pro-life movement have a problem reaching out to African-Americans?

Twenty-five years ago, when 17,000 aborted babies were found in a dumpster outside a pathology lab in Los Angeles, some 12,000-15,000 were observed to be black. Even today, African Americans make up 13% of the population but account for 37% of all abortions in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Planned Parenthood has spent years building ties with black churches and providing subsidized healthcare, such as pap smears and AIDS tests, to poor urban communities. The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice has spent a decade cultivating black preachers to sell both teens and parents on distinctively non-Biblical views of sexuality and birth control.

In contrast, Peggy Hartshorn, president of Heartbeat International, coordinates nearly 900 pro-life centers across the nation -- almost all in mostly white suburbs. Heartbeat International recently launched an initiative to stake out a presence in non-white West Coast neighborhoods. “It's only recently that we’ve realized we need to be there,” Hartshorn said.

But, for the most part, the intensifying pro-life outreach to African Americans is not a coordinated strategy but a series of projects by independent ministries. The black activist group LEARN tries to rally political outrage by touring colleges with the Genocide Awareness Project -- giant murals that juxtapose photos of aborted fetuses with images of slaughter in Rwanda.

Los Angeles TV-radio talk show personality Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson blends an anti-abortion theme into his work with African American conservative projects. As a board member of the California Christian Coalition, Peterson is one of a small number of black conservatives trying to use the abortion issue to draw African Americans to the Republican Party.

That tactic made a splash in last fall’s elections, when a political action committee run by black radio talk show host Herman Cain poured $1 million into edgy ads on urban radio. One spot contended that "Democratic support for abortion laws is decimating our people.” It concluded: “Democrats say they want our vote. Why don’t they want our lives?”

But many black community leaders are turned off by the use of the abortion issue to attack the Democratic Party and garner Black support for Republicans.

“Crisis pregnancy centers would probably be quite popular as institutions in the black community,” said political scientist Melissa Harris-Lacewell, an African-American who graduated from Stanford Law School. “But that means almost nothing for the Republican notion of pulling blacks in as morality voters.”

Lillie Epps, a vice president of Care Net, which runs more than 1,000 crisis pregnancy centers, most of them suburban and white, agrees. “When you go to African-American communities -- even myself, an African-American woman -- you'll find they don’t trust pro-life people. They look at us as a group who cares very little about what’s going on in the inner city, AIDS, poverty and all the other issues.”

Epps said she hopes to set up a center soon in an African-American neighborhood in Los Angeles. “But it’s been very tough,” Epps said. “When they hear ‘pro-life,’ the first thing they think is ‘white Republican.’”

[Antoninus]

The most shocking thing about this article is that the issue has been turned almost completely on its head. Democrats "care" very much about what's going on in the inner cities--and do their best to make sure it keeps going on.

There was an abortion mill down the block from where we used to live in a very White, suburban neighborhood. Based on the folks I saw going in and out of the place, I'd have to assume that 80-90% were Black. Thus, the number quoted at the beginning of this article doesn't surprise me at all.

[Antoninus]

Pro-life ping!

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

I hate to say it, but most black people will continue to vote Democrat no matter what. They’ve become so beholden to the Democrat party that there is probably little that can be done. All many black folks in the inner cities especially care about is getting a little more out of the federal government. Being religious doesn’t always mean doing the right thing or taking the right stand.

[stockpirate]

The Cult of Death was founded in part I think by someone that was very much in favor of prebirth-genocide of the poor.

[flashbunny]

“Even today, African Americans make up 13% of the population but account for 37% of all abortions in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control.”

Looks like margaret sanger’s dream of eugenics is being fulfilled.

[ClearCase_guy]

The black community is, in general, pro-life, pro-church, opposed to the homosexual agenda, and concerned about low-quality government schools.

That's ... uh ... that's why they always vote Democrat.

[Eagle of Liberty]

Lillie Epps, a vice president of Care Net, which runs more than 1,000 crisis pregnancy centers, most of them suburban and white, agrees. “When you go to African-American communities -- even myself, an African-American woman -- you'll find they don’t trust pro-life people. They look at us as a group who cares very little about what’s going on in the inner city, AIDS, poverty and all the other issues.”

Epps said she hopes to set up a center soon in an African-American neighborhood in Los Angeles. “But it’s been very tough,” Epps said. “When they hear ‘pro-life,’ the first thing they think is ‘white Republican.’”

This is an example of taught racism. Just sad.

[Antoninus]

I hate to say it, but most black people will continue to vote Democrat no matter what. They’ve become so beholden to the Democrat party that there is probably little that can be done.

I disagree most strongly. Somehow, the Left turned most Blacks from Republicans into Democrats by appealing to baser passsions--envy, greed, lust. I am of the opinion that the only way this can be turned around is by appealing to people's nobler insticts--love, joy, faith, and family. The pro-life movement rings all those bells.

Personally, I think sustained and coordinated pro-life outreach to the Black community would reap an enormous amount of fruit.

[rock_lobsta]

Margaret Sanger’s legacy...

[Antoninus]

This is an example of taught racism. Just sad.

They'll have to revise that if the GOP is stupid enough to nominate Rudy--the GOP will then no longer be Pro-Life.

[padre35]

It may be an outgrowth of the different congregations that make up churches.

And this is just pitiful, black folks are being used like pawns and they do not relaize it, or if they do, they do not care.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Well, I sincerely hope that you’re right and that I’m not.

[calex59]

I hate to say it, but most black people will continue to vote Democrat no matter what. They’ve become so beholden to the Democrat party that there is probably little that can be done. All many black folks in the inner cities especially care about is getting a little more out of the federal government. Being religious doesn’t always mean doing the right thing or taking the right stand.

You are right. I used to date a very religious black woman but she could not see that abortion was wrong. Most of the children in her family(sisters, cousins, etc.) were fatherless and the women had abortions frequently. All of the women(except for my girlfriend)had multiple children with multiple fathers. They all voted Demorcrat and wouldn't think of changing.

[BunkDetector]

“This is an example of taught racism.”

Huh? Are the Pro-Life ranks NOT overwhelmingly “white, Republican”?

[showme_the_Glory]

It’s their Constitutional right and the government should pay if they want one. Hmmmmmm where have I heard that before?

[JamesP81]

That's ... uh ... that's why they always vote Democrat.

I'm gonna say something, and it could get me into trouble.

The black community has been taught to hate white people, and the GOP is associated with white people, therefore, they won't vote GOP. It doesn't matter what the two parties actually stand for. And so blacks continue to vote pro-abortion and frequent abortion clinics, an enterprise inspired by Margaret Sanger who, by the way, favored the extermination of blacks through abortion. Talk about a nasty case of racial stockholm syndrome.

[LWalk18]

You are right. I used to date a very religious black woman but she could not see that abortion was wrong. Most of the children in her family(sisters, cousins, etc.) were fatherless and the women had abortions frequently. All of the women(except for my girlfriend)had multiple children with multiple fathers. They all voted Demorcrat and wouldn't think of changing.

The decline of the black family encourages otherwise good-hearted and religious people to accept abortion, IMO. When you see a 20 year woman pregnant for the third time by a third father, relying on public assistance to support herself and her children, it is very tempting to see abortion as a neccessary evil or even as a good thing. In addition, there is perception along many blacks that a black baby put up for adoption would languish in foster care, and there is the reality that there is a shortage of intact black families willing to adopt.

The main issue is to change the culture of sexual irresponsibility. Black women are not more blood thirsty than their white counterparts, however we tend to put ourselves in situations where an abortion would be a serious consideration. Reduce the number of teen pregnancies and unwed pregnancies among blacks, and the abortion rate will plummet, and those blacks babies born will have a real chance at a good life.

[LWalk18]

The black community has been taught to hate white people, and the GOP is associated with white people, therefore, they won't vote GOP.

I don't think that is quite true- I think that many (not all) blacks have been taught not to trust white people, especially conservatives.

[Antoninus]

The main issue is to change the culture of sexual irresponsibility. Black women are not more blood thirsty than their white counterparts, however we tend to put ourselves in situations where an abortion would be a serious consideration. Reduce the number of teen pregnancies and unwed pregnancies among blacks, and the abortion rate will plummet, and those blacks babies born will have a real chance at a good life.

Amen to all of that. That's where the Culture of Life comes in. If Blacks--and all of us--would turn away from sexual vulgarity, promiscuity, and divorce, and embrace traditional marriage, family, and children as a blessing, not a curse--many of the problems of the inner cities would go away.

A society of intact traditional families doesn't need government help--and that's why the government gives people incentives to break up.

[tkathy]

In the real world, black women see ranting against contraception as not living in the real world. Black inner city women have terrible problems with irresponsible males.