Eden (4th from left) with the Project Truth team and Nigerian pro-life activist Obianuju Ekeocha.
One day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
In February, the US celebrates Black History Month, which is dedicated to the celebration and commemoration of heroes from African or Caribbean descent. As a member of the Caribbean community, I look at many of the figures celebrated this month with admiration. Men and women who have shown great courage, strength and perseverance; heroes who have achieved greatness, challenged oppression and pushed the boundaries of accomplishment to new levels.
The 20th century saw the rise of Martin Luther King Jr. - one of the greatest and most influential figures in African-American history. Martin Luther King Jr made it his life mission to advocate for basic civil rights for African-Americans, which tackled the discrimination and oppression rife throughout America. Rosa Parks is known for her courage in standing (or, rather, remaining seated) against segregation when she refused to surrender her seat for a white passenger on a crowded bus. Ruby Bridges broke racial educational barriers when, at 6 years old, she was the first African American pupil at an all-white school.
How much have things changed?
Though Black History month remains a topic of minor controversy for some, it gives us the opportunity to remember those positive steps that have made a difference. We acknowledge those who were subject to racial discrimination just a few decades ago. It can be easy to view racial discrimination as a social evil belonging to the past. However, in our current society which prides itself on equality- the question we should be asking is: is the black community truly free from discrimination?
A multitude of heroes have spoken out against the system which denied them their equal rights. Society has progressed and the racial segregation gap has closed significantly. Yet, in a culture obsessed with equality and tolerance, have we truly progressed as much as we like to think? Is there a possibility that, in-fact, we have silently regressed? I would like to suggest that in at least one way we have certainly done so, and that uncomfortable truth is exposed when we look at abortion statistics.
The disturbing truth is that the black community is still routinely and violently discriminated against. The shocking reality is that black lives are being destroyed in the womb at an unimaginable rate.
The racist roots of the abortion industry
There is a veritable conspiracy against lives in the abortion industry which disproportionately victimises black lives; and a look at the roots of that industry gives us an insight in to why that might be the case. An unsettling reality is that the key abortion organisation Planned Parenthood was founded by Margaret Sanger - a racist eugenicist who sought to sterilise and exterminate the black population. Sanger wrote: "We don’t want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population. Coloured people are like human weeds and need to be exterminated." Not only was Planned Parenthood founded with the goal to control the breeding of ‘inferior races’ but to this day, Planned Parenthood (America’s largest abortion provider) still celebrates Sanger, branding her a ‘woman of heroic accomplishments.’
Sadly, this racist attitude aimed at exterminating the black population through abortion spread through the globe and into the United Kingdom. One of the UK’s largest abortion providers, Marie Stopes, was founded in 1921 by eugenicist Marie Stopes - who founded the Society for Constructive Birth Control and Racial Progress. Stopes said: "The evolution of mankind will take a leap forward when we have around us, only fine and beautiful young people." Marie Stopes clinics were erected in areas of poverty with the goal of erasing the "lower-class" and "inferior" citizens. Disturbingly, today, Marie Stopes operates illegal abortion facilities in African countries, targeting communities that have upheld pro-life policies.
And it's still going on
This attitude of targeting the black community has perpetuated within the modern abortion industry, which still takes advantage of the rates of poverty and single-parenthood among the black community. The abortion industry pressurises and exploits the vulnerability of many pregnant women. A current study shows that presently in New York City, there are more black babies are aborted than there are born. Since 1973 in America, over 15.5 million of the black population have been wiped out from abortions – this is higher than all other causes of death put together.
Less research has been done on this in the UK, but even a quick look at the abortion statistics reveals that race may indeed be a factor in abortion. The 2017 Abortion statistics state that 8% of abortions in England and Wales were carried out on Black or Black British women. This is more than double the the black population of the UK (3.3% in the most recent census).
What has happened to The Dream?
At the recent March for Life in Washington, Dr Alveda King- the niece of Martin Luther King Jr - gave a powerful witness, speaking out for the equal rights for the unborn. She states, "we are all one blood, one human race." If her uncle could only see the black genocide taking place today (and his legacy being used to promote it), shrouded by the word "choice", he would weep. What has happened to His Dream? How can His Dream be fulfilled if unborn black lives are still being targeted?
If we stay silent, the abortion industry will slowly but surely wipe out swathes of the black population. If we stay silent, the equal human rights Martin Luther King JR and other civil rights activists fought so hard for will have been in vain. How can a human have equal civil rights without the fundamental human right to be born? We must all learn from the example of Martin Luther King Jr and stand up for the weakest and most vulnerable in our society. We must fight for their rights; we must stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves; and we must Dream "…that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."