A new ad campaign sponsored by Georgia Right to Life and the Radiance Foundation declares black children an "endangered species."
As Plain Dealer columnist Connie Schultz explains, the eighty some billboards feature the face of a scared black child, the slogan "BLACK CHILDREN ARE AN ENDANGERED SPECIES, and the website address toomanyaborted.com.
Pro-choice advocates nationwide have rallied against the campaign, arguing it is both inaccurate and dehumanizing. As Schultz reports, Planned Parenthood's Vice President for Medical Affairs Vanessa Cullins believes "endangered species" makes African Americans "less than human." Outraged by references to black women's abortions as "womb lynchings," Cullins argues the billboards are an attempt to revoke black women's control over their bodies and their lives.
Caroline Davis, minority outreach coordinator for Georgia Right to Life, remains adamant that Planned Parenthood wants to get rid of black babies. Citing evidence that black women have more abortions than white women, Davis says she is just providing the information necessary to help black women make sound decisions.
Sound decisions for whom I wonder. If Cullins is correct in her assertion that black women have less access to affordable health care and birth control, we can reasonably assume these women have less access to health information as well. How can a 15 X 7 foot billboard provide the well-rounded information needed to make an educated decision on abortion? It can't.
If black women seek out more abortions than white women, telling them black babies are endangered isn't going to solve the larger problem. It might make women ashamed to get an abortion, but it won't stop unplanned pregnancy. It might make women less likely to discuss sexuality with their families or doctors, a problem Cullins cites as detrimental to the health of the black community, but it won't make women better prepared to handle the challenges of pregnancy or the decision to abort.
And if the billboards do cause black women to avoid abortion, are these women any better prepared to care for their children? I think not.
These ads feed off inequality. Without equal access to information and resources, black women are left looking to propaganda to make life-altering decisions. If Georgia Right to Life and the Radiance Foundation really wanted to help black families, they would offer sex education, parental training courses and emotional support for pregnant black women. Instead, they push their agenda on those most at risk for accepting it.
Photo Credit: The Associated Press
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