As part of its "Too Many Aborted" campaign, the Radiance Foundation created controversial racially targeted billboards for Juneteenth that were taken down on July 10. (The billboards read in giant letters, "The 13th Amendment Freed Us. Abortion Enslaves Us.")
Today it's releasing videos that call out black leaders for not supporting the pro-life movement. NPR host Michel Martin talked to co-founder Ryan Bomberger and Religious Coalition of Reproductive Choice President and CEO the Rev. Carlton Veazey about both sides of the abortion debate's latest developments, and what they mean for the black community.
We're sure no one will be surprised that the two agreed to disagree. Here's an excerpt from the conversation that shows just how many layers the conversation has, especially when it's further complicated by race.
Bomberger: Contraception — abortion has become today's contraception. There was never any Caucasian project or Latino project or Asian project. There was only the Negro project to reduce the birthrate of poorer blacks. That's an important point because what they have done, instead of looking at the actual substantive issue, looking at the history, looking at today's statistics and the continued targeting, they don't engage in the conversation at all. And I think it's a shame because abortion affects all of us. It's not just a women's issue, it's a human issue that profoundly impacts all of us.
Veazy: It's amazing how the religious right and all those who are against abortion and that procedure, they are so interested in the fetus development — fetus coming here — a child coming here … But what do they do? They wait until the child, not a fetus, the child gets here and they abort them through lack of health care. They abort them through lack of education. And you can see it in every major city. I'm here in Chicago. I can walk through certain communities and see kids, for all practical purposes have been aborted. Same thing in Washington, in Central L.A., wherever you go … And that ad about Obama being the next person could have been an Obama, you've aborted through your lack of concern for the social issues, you've aborted a lot of children that could have been an Obama.
Read more at NPR.
In other news: Herman Cain's Bigotry: No More Free Pass.