Michigan Billboards Discussing Black Abortions Called Racist

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jun 26, 2004   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Michigan Billboards Discussing Black Abortions Called Racist

by Paul Nowak
LifeNews.com Staff Writer
June 26, 2004

Flint, MI (LifeNews.com) — pair of pro-life billboards across the street from an area abortion business are drawing criticism that they are racist. The billboards feature a picture of a black baby, and refer to abortion as the "No. 1 killer of African Americans."

"There were some concerns from the community about the billboards," said Angela Lee, program director for Flint Area Citizens to End Racism. "There were those who thought the image of the black baby on the billboards is the root of racism."

Pro-life leaders disagree, and say that statistics show just the opposite – that abortion, the leading cause of death among blacks, victimized African Americans.

"The statistics back it up," said Judy Climer of Flint Area Right to Life, noting that Black Americans for Life has followed the trend.

A federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports heart disease as the top cause of death among blacks, with 77,674 in 2000. However, in the same year, there were 300,000 abortions performed on blacks out of a total of 850,000 total performed.

Climer said the Right to Life group has received a positive response to the signs, as women who were about to enter the abortion facilities have changed their minds and called the hotline.

African American women make up 13.7 percent of the U.S. population of women of childbearing age, yet the abortion rate among Black women is three times higher than of white women. For every five African American women that get pregnant three will have abortions.

In February, the NAACP quietly adopted a pro-abortion policy, a decision that has garnered criticism from pro-life, black, and Catholic organizations.

Rev. Clenard Childress, the director of LEARN, a black pro-life organization, said his group was "deeply disgruntled" by the decision. He said the NAACP is responsible for "the obvious sell out of our women and children to appease the abortion industry and NARAL in their quest to unseat President Bush."

"Afro-American women have been victimized by the abortion industry for profit," Childress said. "Each day 1,452 Black infants are killed for profit and our pulpits and much of our current leadership are silent. Political alliances have caused us to ‘sell out’ our women and our children."

Earlier this month, Catholic University officials have decided against approving an NAACP campus chapter’s application to become an officially recognized student group, due its parent organization adopted a position in support of abortion.

Spokesman Victor Nakas said the school is not guilty of discrimination because two groups already exist that promote the interests of African-American students on campus: the Black Organization of Students at Catholic University of America and Minority Voices, an umbrella group for minority organizations.

Nakas also pointed to the NAACP’s endorsement of an April rally in Washington for abortion.

The rally, sponsored by leading abortion advocacy groups such as Planned Parenthood and NARAL, drew almost 500,000 people — under half of the more than one million attendees organizers predicted.