Last week, a controversial billboard was placed in New York City, setting off a national firestorm and debate about abortion in the African American community. Why are our abortion rates higher than other groups? Why would the pro-life group place the billboard in that particular communty? It raises a lot of questions. We have Edward C. Lee and Gwen Jimmere ready to extend the conversation:
HIS VIEW:
By Edward C. Lee
Is there a war being waged against African American’s and we don’t even know it? By now many have heard of the controversial anti-abortion billboard that a group called Life Always, posted in Manhattan last week. It made headlines because shortly after the billboard went up, protests and controversy erupted and the billboard with the picture of a cute African American girl with the words, “The Most Dangerous Place for an African American is in the Womb,” above her head, was taken down.
It goes without saying that abortion is about as large a hot button issue as there is. But beyond the arguments for or against abortion, the controversy over this new ad campaign by African American anti-abortion groups brings a more specific issue to the forefront.
Are groups intentionally encouraging abortion in the African American community – to destroy or harm the “black family”?
That in part, is the claim of several pro-life groups and the reason behind the strategic placement of this particular ad in Manhattan, in close proximity to a Planned Parenthood facility. It was a sentiment that Catholic League president, Bill Donahue supported in a recent CNN article regarding the controversy, as he said, “Life Always says it wants to raise public awareness of Planned Parenthood’s war on black people. Good for them.”
Life Always board member Stephen Broden further highlighted their position regarding this attack on African Americans by expressing the difficulty of celebrating Black History month while the abortion rate among African Americans is so high.
The typical causes of the extremely high abortion rate proffered in the African American community are related to an overall lack of resources and services. But in light of this new campaign to raise awareness and bring to light this alleged “war” on Black America, do you think there is a more intentional agenda to wipe out the our families in the works here? Read the full CNN article here.
Edward is an Ordained Minister, host of the blog: elevateyourmarriage.com and Author of two first of their kind marriage books, Husbands, Wives, God: Introducing the Marriages of the Bible to Your Marriage and his new book, Husbands, Wives, God – Weekly Devotions: 52 Weeks of Relationship Enriching Devotions. Follow Edward on his blog or on Facebook at Husbands, Wives, God.
HER VIEW:
by Gwen Jimmere
Last Wednesday, while preparing my son for an outing, I received a picture on my phone from a good friend who resides in NYC. As I glanced at the phone, I was forced to do a double take. The startling image was taken by my friend on the corner of 6th Avenue and Watts Street in Soho.
I found myself taking instant offense at this billboard above. At first, I thought perhaps this was some photoshopped image she found online, then quickly called her in hopes of proving myself correct. She indicated this was definitely live in living color on the streets of New York.
Upon further research, this three story anti-abortion ad is being sponsored by pro-life group, Life Always, the leader of which is 58-year-old, Dallas-based, African American pastor Stephen Broden, who was the Republican political candidate for the state of Texas just last year. (Broden lost to Democratic candidate Eddie Bernice Johnson.)
The website listed on the billboard takes one to a site where Planned Parenthood is being targeted for being the largest provider of abortions across the country, performing over 300,000 per year. (Ironically, just last Friday, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill to cut an estimated $75 million in federal funding to Planned Parenthood. Should the bill pass through the Senate and get signed into law, Planned Parenthood would lose all its federal funding now and in the future. Coincidence?)
Now, for the record, I am not proposing a pro-life or pro-choice stance on this matter. I am sure we can all agree that abortion is extremely undesirable, no matter which position you take. I am equally positive that if we look at the statistics as reported, we can come to the consensus that African Americans indeed have the highest rate of abortions in America. So, the question is not whether or not this is factual or not. This is purely about the manner in which the message is being delivered.
As an African American, I take great offense at this. Knowing a fellow black person is behind it doesn’t help. And the fact that this was strategically placed in a predominately white area makes no sense to me. If the goal is to get African Americans to stop having abortions, why place this in an area where the majority of people who see it aren’t even those you are hoping to get the message across to ““ that is, unless you’re simply attempting to drum up national publicity?
As a mother, I find this sort of thing to be necessary, albeit a bit extreme. To suggest that “the most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb” negates the challenges black children encounter daily across this country. However, with a 2009 reported African American abortion statistic of 59.8% in NYC, it is quite obvious that this is, quite literally, a matter of life and death.
Once I gathered all the facts, I became torn. Prior to becoming a mother, I likely would have sided with the notion that this billboard is taking it way too far. That I felt humiliated as a black woman and that this pastor had a vendetta against my kind. Now, I’m not so sure. So I pose this question to the BMWK family:
What’s your take? Is this a socially and culturally relevant right step toward eradicating what some might see as self-inflicted genocide? Or are there more conservative and effective ways to get the message across?
Gwen Jimmere is an award-winning and nationally syndicated editor who authored the relationship manual for young women, If It Walks Like a Duck”...and Other Truths My Mother Taught Me. She blogs about relationships, dating, marriage and parenting at The Duck Walk and works in social media/digital marketing for a Fortune 10 company.