As we celebrate Black History Month this February, I think back to all of the things I learned this year as I began working in the pro-life movement.
So much has disturbed and surprised me about abortion in our country, 
but there is little that I find more disturbing than abortion in African American communities.
Take a look with me:
The statistics – The number of abortions that black women have in Pennsylvania is troubling. While about 11 percent of our population is African American, 41 percent of abortions in the Commonwealth are to African Americans.
The targets – A new study shows that abortion centers target minorities. Life Issues Institute analyzed the 2010 Census data, and found “… that Planned Parenthood continues to strategically place the majority of their surgical abortion facilities in locations that target Black Americans for abortion. This analysis shows that 62% of Planned Parenthood abortion facilities are within walking distance (2 miles) of relatively high African American populations.”
The stories – This summer, the news of a tragic abortion death unfolded. A young black mother named Tonya Reaves walked in to a Planned Parenthood to have an abortion. Hours later, both she and her baby were dead. Later investigations revealed that her uterus has been perforated during the abortion; and staff waited several hours before taking her to the hospital. By then, it was too late. Planned Parenthood now faces two lawsuits because of Tonya’s death.
And just recently, two black women shared their abortion experiences in a new film about the Philadelphia abortion mill run by Kermit Gosnell. The first woman changed her mind on the abortion table, but the staff forced her to go through with the abortion. The second woman was lied to about abortion and the health risks. Gosnell left both women damaged mentally and physically. Neither one can have any more children.
The life advocates – These numbers and stories break my heart. So many babies are dying at the hands of the abortionist. So many women are being lied to. Yet, I also found hope in the black community, whose strong pro-life advocates refuse to stop fighting against this injustice.
Dr. Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., dedicates her life to ending abortion. She visited Central Pa. last fall and joined area black religious leaders in praying for an end to abortion. King had two abortions as a young woman, and now she shares a message of hope and healing with other women who have been damaged by abortions. Read more about her here.
Arlene Campbell bravely speaks about having an abortion in college. The Philadelphia woman almost died after complications resulting from her abortion. She now tells her story with the hope that other women will choose life for their preborn babies. Listen to her story here.
Dr. Mildred Fay Jefferson left an amazing legacy, breaking racial and gender barriers as African American leader. She was the first African American women to graduate from Harvard Medical School. In the 1975, she became the president of the National Right to Life Committee. Her eloquence and passion for the preborn even influenced Ronald Reagan. Watch her story here.
I find new hope in these leaders, hope that one day our society will respect the rights of every human life.