Racism and Abortion, Part 2

by Benjamin Watson, tight end for the New Orleans Saints and President of One More Foundation, and Brian Fisher, President of Human Coalition

I do a fair amount of writing for Human Coalition, so it’s always a welcome relief when someone offers to jump in and co-write an article with me. When I started writing this short blog series on abortion and racism, I was honored that Bishop Vincent J. Mathews Jr., President of the International Missions Department, Church of God in Christ, offered to share his thoughts and perspective. And our article generated a substantial amount of discussion on the blog and in the office. We are currently embarking on a three-year partnership with the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), based on educating and involving COGIC congregations in the effort to rescue children and families from abortion. So the article was very timely.

As I got to work on the second part of the series, I was thrilled that another guest writer offered to share his stellar remarks on such a heated topic. Many thanks to Benjamin Watson, Super Bowl Champion, President of One More Foundation, tight end for the Baltimore Ravens, and author of Under our Skin: Getting Real about Race—and Getting Free from the Fears and Frustrations That Divide Us, for co-writing this piece. I’m also excited that he recently agreed to join the Human Coalition Advisory Board. He joins two other NFL greats, Chad Hennings and Tunch Ilkin, along with a host of other fantastic and supportive voices of influence.

As a voice of reason in a culture of chaos, Benjamin has led the national conversation on racial redemption, while drawing attention to the abortion industry’s systematic targeting of babies in minority communities. We both welcome your comments on this blog.

America’s race relations are at a breaking point. The seemingly cyclical pattern of police shootings, followed by inner-city riots and looting, and the retaliatory violence that often follows have put a real strain on the black community. And rather than try to foster a spirit of reconciliation, the media helps fan the flames of violence by giving radicals on both sides a platform to spew more hatred.

Unfortunately, for as much coverage as the media has given to the social injustice of racism, they have completely ignored the most prolific result of racism in modern-day America: abortion.

Abortion Is the Spawn of Racism

In the first half of this two-part message, we examined the roots of widespread abortion in America, which were wrapped up in the practice of eugenics and racism. Specifically, we considered the following:

• Abortion disproportionately affects African Americans who account for approximately 12.6% of the U.S. population, but roughly 35% of all abortions.
  African Americans account for approx. 12.6% of the U.S. pop., but roughly 35% of all abortions. Share on X

• Out of all Planned Parenthood surgical abortion facilities, 79% are located in or within walking distance of minority communities.

• In New York City (the birthplace of birth control and the abortion capital of America), if you are a black baby in the womb, then you are more likely to be killed than born. More than 50% of African-American preborn babies are aborted in this city, and those abortions account for 42% of all NYC abortions.
  In NYC, if you are a black baby in the womb, then you are more likely to be killed than born. Share on X

• There were 285 African Americans killed in police-related incidents in America during 2015. However, more blacks are killed every day in America by abortion.

Abortion is the leading cause of death among black Americans and the ultimate form of racism, yet it is rarely a part of the national conversation on racism.

If we are to honestly and openly address racial injustice, then we must speak out against the abortion industry that is targeting our black and minority neighborhoods. While we are losing men and women to police brutality, the reality is that every day we are losing thousands of our children—our future—to an industry that from its earliest founding sought to “weed out the undesirables.”

The staggering rate of abortion within the black community is difficult to digest and discuss. But we cannot legitimately advocate for social justice for African Americans while sweeping the reality of abortion under the rug. It must be brought to light.

To begin the conversation, we must address two important points:

• If you are a Christian—regardless of your race or denomination—the sacredness of life should be the lens through which you view every societal problem. Every person is created in the image of God and deserves a chance to live. God commands us to protect the innocent and rescue those being led away to slaughter (Proverbs 24:11). Therefore, we must speak out against the evil of abortion and its impact on our communities. This is nonnegotiable. God commands it; therefore, we must obey.

• Many women who seek an abortion aren’t angry, violent, or pro-choice activists. They are women who’ve been deceived by a culture that tells them abortion is the best thing they can do for themselves and their preborn child. They have little support from their family, the baby’s father, or society. We need to reach these women and empower them to believe they can be great parents. We need to provide them with resources so choosing life becomes the better choice.

Human Coalition is on a mission to address both of these issues.

First, we acknowledge that all life is precious and deserves protection, and then we put that truth into action by finding abortion-determined women and men, and getting them the long-term, comprehensive medical care and support they need to help them choose life.

Many of our clients live in minority communities and are considered by Planned Parenthood’s standards to be their “target market.” In addition to experiencing more unplanned pregnancies than the rest of the population, women in black communities often struggle with a lack of education and limited resources. Human Coalition strives to address both problems as we empower women to choose life.

Can we really stop abortion?

If we are serious about ending racism, then we must confront and stop its most egregious spawn—abortion. How do we do this?

We stop abortion by sharing the Gospel. We stop it through education. We stop it through rescuing babies and families from abortion. We stop it by listening. We stop it by reaching across lines of color, gender, and socioeconomic status and providing compassion, grace, and help. We stop it by accepting our individual responsibility and privilege of being godly mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. We stop it by recognizing that any abortion of any person, regardless of his or her color, is an affront to a holy God who not only gave every one of us life, but also condescended to save us from ourselves.

We cannot claim to value the life of our black brothers and sisters while turning a blind eye to the preborn black babies who are killed by abortion. Indeed, both have to be a part of the national conversation if we are to truly unite Americans regardless of their skin color and eradicate both racial tension and abortion in our lifetime.

Human Coalition is leading the effort to stop legalized abortion by partnering with churches within the black community.

As a powerful, multiracial, unifying step toward confronting abortion in America, we recently announced a three-year collaborative effort between the Church of God in Christ (one of the largest African-American denominations in the country) and Human Coalition. If you haven’t yet seen it, please read our press release here.

This effort, founded on education, prayer, and practical strategies to end abortion in major cities, is one that we hope will be multiplied numerous times over within other denominations.

Will you imagine with us, for just a moment, a multiracial, nonsectarian, nondenominational, coordinated effort to reach hurting women and families, so we can rescue hundreds of thousands of children from death in the womb? Can you imagine churches of all shapes and sizes educating their congregations about the history of abortion, its impact on society, and just how close we are to ending it? How about a church-led national movement to bring the hope and forgiveness of Jesus Christ to the tens of millions of post-abortive families in our country?

The blueprint for such an effort has already been drawn. And the Church of God in Christ, in community with Human Coalition, is leading the effort. Will you join with us both in prayer today? Will you agree to speak to your church leaders about linking arms with us? Will you work with us to end racism in America by wiping out its deadliest weapon—abortion?

This leap forward can be achieved in our lifetime.

Won’t you join Human Coalition, the Church of God in Christ, Benjamin Watson, and thousands of our fellow Americans in speaking up for those who’ve been the most victimized by cultural racism? Through your support, we can rescue preborn children in our black communities and begin healing the racial tensions in our nation.