Christianity,  Politics

Abortion, Race, and the NAACP

Yesterday, Senator Barack Obama addressed the 99th annual conference for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). William McGurn of the Wall Street Journal notes why the meeting was important:

“For one thing, the first African-American to head the presidential ticket of a major party was on hand. Yet there was another interesting appearance that went mostly unmentioned. This was a protest by African-American pro-lifers – many NAACP members – who can’t understand why America’s most venerated civil rights organization turns a blind eye to what they say is the abortion industry’s practice of targeting poor minority neighborhoods.”

Among the pro-life demonstrators was Dr. Alveda King, a niece of the Rev. Martin Luther King. Dr. Alveda King had two abortions before converting to a pro-life position. The article records King’s description of her own experience.

“I remember when I was pregnant and considering a third abortion. I went to Daddy King [her grandfather and Martin Luther King’s father]. He told me, ‘that’s a baby, not a blob of tissue.’ Unfortunately, 14 million African-Americans are not here today because of legalized abortion. It’s as if a plague swept through America’s cities and towns and took one of every four of us.”

Alveda King’s concerns are not misplaced. Abortion-on-demand in America in fact does take a disproportionate number of lives from black babies. While 1 out of about every 5 white pregnancies end in abortion, it’s nearly 1 out of every 2 for African-American pregnancies. So isn’t this an issue that the NAACP should take up?

Dr. Alveda King has a website where she eloquently makes the point about what is at stake:

‘We have been fueled by the fire of “women’s rights,” so long that we have become deaf to the outcry of the real victims whose rights are being trampled upon, the babies and the mothers. . . . What about the rights of each baby who is artificially breached before coming to term in his or her mother’s womb, only to have her skull punctured, and feel, yes agonizingly “feel” the life run out of her before she takes her first breath of freedom. What about of the rights of these women who have been called to pioneer the new frontiers of the new millennium only to have their lives snuffed out before the calendar even turns?

‘Oh, God, what would Martin Luther King, Jr., who dreamed of having his children judged by the content of their characters do if he’d lived to see the contents of thousands of children’s skulls emptied into the bottomless caverns of the abortionists pits?

‘It is time for America, perhaps the most blessed nation on earth to lead the world in repentance, and in restoration of life! . . . Abortion is at the forefront of our destruction. Partial Birth Abortion is perhaps the most heinous form of this legal genocide. . . . The only healing and redemption is in the blood of Jesus, blood willingly shed so that we could stand today and cry out for the blood of the unborn that is drenching the land of our children.

‘. . . [Martin Luther] King [Jr.] once said, “The Negro cannot win as long as he is willing to sacrifice the lives of his children for comfort and safety.” How can the “Dream” survive if we murder the children? Every aborted baby is like a slave in the womb of his or her mother. . . . If the Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is to live, our babies must live. Our mothers must choose life. If we refuse to answer the cry of mercy from the unborn, and ignore the suffering of the mothers, then we are signing our own death warrants.

‘I too, like Martin Luther King, Jr., have a dream. I have a dream that the men and women, the boys and girls of America will come to our senses, and humble ourselves before God Almighty and pray for mercy, and receive His healing grace. I pray that this is the day, the hour of our deliverance. May God have mercy on us all.’

Read the rest here. And read John Piper’s sermon “When Is Abortion Racism?

9 Comments

  • Truth Unites... and Divides

    God bless Dr. Alveda King for speaking truth-in-love about the horrible, terrible, tragic sin of abortion.

  • mike

    Wow, how perfectly well spoken. I’ve heard this before. The founder of Planned Parenthood spoke at KKK gatherings, she hated African Americans. Her sick idea, under the guise of ‘Planning’ has assisted in the murder of millions of black babies. How can the NAACP let her win like that?

  • Grej

    Most African Americans are good church going bible-believing folks who have been betrayed
    by religious leaders who too often have turned the pulpit into a forum for a political viewpoint
    which is incompatible with the scripture that I know.

    Here is some scripture they should be teaching:

    “What you do to the least of these you do unto me”

    “Before I knit you in your mother’s womb I knew
    you”.

    Of course being pro-life is incompatible with what we know of Mr. Obama’s history
    and voting record.
    Sen. Obama received the following scores on NARAL Pro-Choice America’s Congressional Record on Choice.

    2007: 100 percent
    2006: 100 percent
    2005: 100 percent

    By the way, when he was in the Illinois legislature he voted against requiring a physician to save the life of an infant who had survived a botched abortion. This is a more extreme position than even most pro-abortion groups like NARAL have. He is as far as I know the most pro-abortion, pro homosexual candidate ever to run for president. If this man represents the new Christianity and the new America, God help us all.

    One could disagree over issues such as war and the death penalty and still be a good Christian. Abortion and homosexuality are always and forever more wrong and serious evils. They
    were wrong two thousand years ago and will be two thousand years from now.

    Nothing sanctioned by man can have any validity or lasting if it is not also likewise sanctioned by God.

    Mr. Obama is the first African-American to be nominated by a major party, which is hugh. No man, however can come before God or the word of God.

    How any bible-believing loving Christian, African-American or otherwise can even consider voting for this man is beyond me.

    How one could even compare the taking of an innocent life with any other issue is beyond me.

    In the hierarchy of injustices, this is number one.

    Question:What does one human life mean to God?(not to man, but to God).

    It’s estimated Henry Hyde through his Hyde Amendment may have save a million lives. If he only
    saved one is that not worth it?
    ”
    Maggie Styles, staff counsel for Americans United for Life, says that a pro-life president “could help build a culture of life through judicial appointments, the enactment and defense of pro-life laws and policies, executive orders, vetoes and judicial appointments.”

    If ten young men grow up impoverished and only one of them survives and escapes it is that not worth it?
    Rather than someone who would have suggested aborting them to their mothers?

    The day will come for each of us when we will have to stand before God and justify our every action,
    including voting for someone like this.

    There is a picture at the bottom of the National Right to LIfe web page(nrlc.org). Go there and
    scroll down and take a look and think long and hard about how you’re going to vote.

    With knowledge comes responsibility. People today are very
    hard-hearted and stiff-necked, however.

  • Ernestine Standberry

    Thank God for Alveda King! It is so relevant for her to be in the Prolife Movement. First and foremost Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was a preacher who DID NOT believe in abortions! We have to always play his “I have a Dream Speech” as President Obama does not represent the full meaning of this Speech! He is much too Pro-Abortion! Also, please view my testimony under…Ernestine Standberry…and the testimony of Bishop Linda Felix in re abortions. I also have videos out entitled “HealthCare Reform – Ernestine Standberry” and “Message to the Churches, Congress, Pres. Obama and The World” Part 1 and 2! Again, God Bless Alveda King….I use her famous quote on my voicemail after announcing our organization i.e. “The greatest civil rights movement is to overturn Roe v. Wade.”
    Love N Peace, Ernestine Standberry a/k/a “Ms.E”, Director of the International Prolife Federation Affiliate of CFABC and the Englewood Mennonite Church of Mennonite Church USA, 832 West 68th Street, Chicago, IL 60619
    Email: Standberry65@hotmail.com

  • Minister Fred Hatchett

    We need to be real hear and stop ignoring the fact that Martin Luther King accepted the Maragret Sanger Award in 1966, knowing full well what population control was about. He was not pro-life……..
    We need to stop casting him in that light. Minister Fred Hatchett- 919/278-8911

    “According to Planned Parenthood, “Before reading Dr. King’s speech, Mrs. King declared, ‘I am proud tonight to say a word in behalf of your mentor, and the person who symbolizes the ideas of this organization, Margaret Sanger. Because of her dedication, her deep convictions, and for her suffering for what she believed in, I would like to say that I am proud to be a woman tonight.'”

    “There is a striking kinship between our movement and Margaret Sanger’s early efforts. She, like we, saw the horrifying conditions of ghetto life. Like we, she knew that all of society is poisoned by cancerous slums. Like we, she was a direct actionist — a nonviolent resister. She was willing to accept scorn and abuse until the truth she saw was revealed to the millions. At the turn of the century she went into the slums and set up a birth control clinic, and for this deed she went to jail because she was violating an unjust law. Yet the years have justified her actions. She launched a movement which is obeying a higher law to preserve human life under humane conditions. Margaret Sanger had to commit what was then called a crime in order to enrich humanity, and today we honor her courage and vision; for without them there would have been no beginning. Our sure beginning in the struggle for equality by nonviolent direct action may not have been so resolute without the tradition established by Margaret Sanger and people like her. Negroes have no mere academic nor ordinary interest in family planning. They have a special and urgent concern.”
    http://www.birthcontrolwatch.org/blog/2009/01/martin-luther-king-jr-and-margaret.html

  • Ernestine Standberry

    AGAIN, REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING WAS PROLIFE! However, you try to justify Margaret Sanger’s movement you CANNOT! I am prolife and believe in the usage of birth control methods to PREVENT pregnancy! AGAIN, REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING DID NOT BELIEVE IN ABORTIONS! HE WAS MURDERED….remember before the 1973 Roe v. Wade Decision!!!

    SPECIFICALLY, MINISTER FRED HATCHETT, I ask that you view my Youtube videos entitled “Message to the Churches, Congress, President Obama and The World” Part 1 and 2!! YOU especially should view Part 2 over and over again. It speaks to PROCHOICE Ministers such as yourself!

    Ernestine Standberry, Dir. of the International Prolife Federation and member of the Englewood Mennonite Church of Mennonite Church USA

  • Minister Fred Hatchett

    I am not pro-choice. Where did you get that from Ernestine. MLK, Jr. did believe in population control, and abortion was “legalized” in 1973; that does not mean that abortions were not being performed. Get your facts straight about me. I am pro-life to the max.

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