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We live in a world obsessed with social media. From our nation’s leaders to our nation’s youth, it’s difficult to find a person or organization that isn’t active on at least one social media platform. 

Out of a world that is consumed by social media trends, likes, and re-tweets, a new phenomenon has taken root in recent years, particularly fueled by the left, known as the “cancel culture.” 

In a recent article in the New York Post, cancel culture is defined as “promoting the ‘canceling’ of people, brands and even shows and movies due to what some consider to be offensive or problematic remarks or ideologies.”  

While on the surface this appears to be a new idea, Dr. Jill McCorkel, a professor of sociology and criminology at Villanova University, said in the article that the roots of cancel culture have existed throughout human history in various forms, punishing people for “behaving outside of perceived social norms.” The appearance of this on social media is simply another iteration.  

Merriam-Webster identifies cancel culture on social media beginning during the #MeToo movement, when figures such as Bill Cosby and Louis C.K. were “canceled” after allegations of sexual misconduct were brought against them.  

Following the death of George Floyd in May, and the protests that came after, the cancel culture came out in full force – this time denouncing anything or anyone that did not unequivocally support or reflect the ideals of the Black Lives Matter movement. Social media spiraled out of control with people demanding that statues and paintings of controversial historical figures come down, school traditions change, and longtime brand names be abandoned. 

But now, the cancel culture has come for one of their own: Margaret Sanger, the controversial founder of Planned Parenthood. 

On June 18, over 350 current and former staffers of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, along with 800 donors, supporters, and volunteers, published an open letter calling Sanger a “racist, white woman.” Moreover, the signers described a culture of “systemic racism” within that chapter of Planned Parenthood and cited a “history and a present steeped in white supremacy.” Just weeks ago, the affiliate finally decided to cancel Sanger, and remove her name from the New York City clinic.  

While the acknowledgement of Sanger’s racism and the decision by New York’s affiliate to abandon her is significant, the cancel culture is missing the more important point: Sanger’s racist vision is still being fulfilled by Planned Parenthood today. 

Margaret Sanger: Planned Parenthood’s Racist and Eugenicist Founder 

Margaret Sanger founded the American Birth Control League in 1921, which was the organization that would one day become Planned Parenthood. From the beginning, she had a host of white eugenicist-believing men right alongside her. Lothrop Stoddard, C.C. Little, and Harry Laughlin were board members in the early years of the organization, and George Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells, and Havelock Ellis were influential friends who helped guide her extreme beliefs. 

Despite Planned Parenthood’s attempts to sanitize Sanger’s background, her beliefs were not and are not a secret. In fact, they are well documented in her writings. 

In Sanger’s book, The Pivot of Civilization, she said, “Every feeble-minded girl or woman of the hereditary type, especially of the moron class, should be segregated during the reproductive period. Otherwise, she is almost certain to bear imbecile children, who in turn are just as certain to breed other defectives.” 

She also had a special project entitled the “Negro Project” aimed at pushing the distribution of contraceptives to African Americans. As part of this project, Sanger worked to recruit African American ministers and community leaders to support her initiative. But her real goal was revealed in a letter to fellow eugenicist Dr. Clarence Gamble: “We do not want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.”  

Population control, eugenics, and racism were at the heart of Sanger’s original mission. And data proves it is still being fulfilled today. 

Research from Protecting Black Life using 2010 Census data shows that nearly 80% of Planned Parenthood’s surgical abortion facilities are within walking distance of minority neighborhoods. Even the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute concedes in a 2008 report that the abortion rate for Black women is almost five times the rate for white women.  

Despite the facts and data, Planned Parenthood’s national chapter largely remains in defense of Sanger, her mission, and their business model. Their fact sheets and websites call Sanger a “hero” and praise her “revolutionary” ideas. They also continue to hand out an award in Sanger’s name, dubbed their “highest honor,” with past recipients including Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton. 

Why hasn’t Planned Parenthood been canceled? 

With such clear-cut evidence of racism at Planned Parenthood, why has Planned Parenthood bowed to pressure to start to “cancel” Margaret Sanger, but Planned Parenthood itself remains unscathed?  

Because Planned Parenthood remains imbedded in government, churches, the family, business, and the media, and its hooks go deep.  

Planned Parenthood receives over half a billion dollars in taxpayer money every year. They also receive significant funding and support from corporations in the name of “charitable giving.” Companies such as Ford, GM, Samsung, Bank of America, Kellogg, and Microsoft funnel money to Planned Parenthood and their affiliates.  

Often, the church is even complicit in allowing Planned Parenthood to continue, arguing their clinics provide great services to women, “if only they wouldn’t provide abortions.” 

Recently, Reverend Dean Nelson, the executive director of Human Coalition Action, and I discussed this issue in depth. If you missed our conversation, you can view the video here: www.prolife.org/racism

The bottom line is that we must stand up and hold Planned Parenthood, elected officials, corporations, and the church accountable for their continued propagation of racism and death. This should be a no-brainer for Biblically-literate, compassionate Christians. As 3 John 1:11 says, “…do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.” (NIV) 

Taxpayer and corporate dollars should not be going to an organization with an evil, racist mission and business model. The church should not be defending an evil organization that kills hundreds of thousands of preborn children every year and blatantly targets minorities.  

There are plenty of real, life-affirming health centers that can serve Planned Parenthoods clients – including the brick-and-mortar and virtual clinics owned by Human Coalition. Simply put, we don’t need them. 

It’s time to cancel Planned Parenthood, once and for all. Will you join us?  

Sign the petition and show your support for the dignity of preborn children: www.prolife.org/racism

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