Congressman Who Noted How Abortion Hurts Blacks to Speak to Pro-Life Students
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 8, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — An Arizona congressman who drew national attention recently for his comments focusing on how abortion has been detrimental to the black community will speak at an upcoming banquet for the national pro-life college group. Rep. Trent Franks will headline the event for Students for Life of America.
On Thursday, Franks will present the keynote speech at the 1st Annual Students for Life of America Spring Banquet at the Top of Town Banquet Hall in Arlington, Virginia.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to speak to Students for Life about the importance of working toward the eventual overturn of the travesty that is Roe v. Wade," Franks said in a statement SFLA sent LifeNews.com.
"Today’s college students understand that it is their generation that has been devastated by abortion on demand; they look around their classrooms and see dozens of empty desks that represent classmates and peers who were never even given a chance," he said. "I am encouraged to see so many young, passionate students getting involved in the pro-life movement, and I look forward to supporting the worthy efforts of Students for Life at this banquet.”
But what Franks said a couple weeks ago drew considerable attention.
As LifeNews.com reported, Franks released a new video in which he said abortion has been worse for the African-American community than slavery.
"And yet today, half of all black children are aborted. Half of all black children are aborted," Franks says in it. "Far more of the African American community is being devastated by the policies of today than were being devastated by policies of slavery. And I think, What does it take to get us to wake up?"
Statistics from the federal government and the mainstream media appear to back up Franks’ point that abortions target black women.
According to figures from the Centers for Disease Control, while black women represent 12.5% of American females they have 38.2% of all abortions, according to the authors.
The rate is so high that ABC News recently focused on it during a news feature.
Franks came under heavy criticism from pro-abortion activists, but black pro-life leaders including Day Gardner, the president of the National Black Pro-Life Union and Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, came to his defense.
Meanwhile, the Students for Life of America banquet will also feature a special presentation from some of the national organization’s top student leaders.
Meghan Redmond and Jessica Hankerson from Sacramento State University in California and Jessica Shaw from the Illinois Institute of Technology will share the incredible life-saving impact that SFLA has had in their personal lives and on their campuses.
Also, Kristan Hawkins, the executive director of the successful pro-life collegiate group, will give a short presentation about the success of Students for Life since launching full-time less than four years ago.
Related web sites:
Students for Life of America
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