Jus Vitae, Notre Dame Law School’s pro-life student organization, hosted Dr. Alveda King on February 21 to speak about eradicating abortion. Her talk was entitled, “Healing After Abortion: What to Do When Your Friend Confides in You About Her Abortion.” King shared her personal journey to receiving God’s forgiveness after her own abortion. A pastoral associate for African American Outreach for Priests for Life–a Roman Catholic pro-life organization whose primary goal is to coordinate efforts aimed at ending abortion and euthanasia–King also gave advice on how to help others, women and men, on their journey toward healing. She shared more about her personal perspective in an interview with THE IRISH ROVER.
How has your personal history affected your pro-life stance?
In the early 1970’s, even though some black voices were protesting against forced sterilization, artificial chemical birth control methods, and abortion, there were many who were fooled and misled by propaganda that promoted such strategies. I was among those who were duped. As a result, I suffered one involuntary and one voluntary “legal” abortion. My birthday is January 22, and each year this special day is marred by the fact that it is also the anniversary of Roe v. Wade—and the anniversary of death for millions of babies. My deceased children and I are victims of abortion. The ROE V. WADE decision has adversely affected the lives of my entire family. Today, I live with a repentant heart, and I pray in thanks each day for the Lord’s forgiveness and blessing. I am a mother of 6 living children and a grandmother. Regretfully, I am also a post-abortive mother. I offer a tearful prayer that my sharing the tragedy of my life-altering experiences will help save the life of a child yet unborn.
How and when did you become involved with Priests for Life?
I met Fr. Frank Pavone [the current national director of Priests for Life] in the late nineties at a pro-life event. He was speaking about why Martin Luther King, Jr. was pro-life. I agreed with Fr. Pavone. We became friends, and a few years later, he asked me to head up African American outreach for Priests for Life.
How do you see the pro-life movement today as a continuation of the civil rights movement?
A pre-born baby once conceived is a person. In previous centuries, people fought over skin color; today, the gestational size of the person is included in the civil rights life battle, along with the sick, elderly, and infirm… I too once accepted the lies of Planned Parenthood until the truth of the violence of abortion was revealed to me. If Planned Parenthood had announced that over 50 million babies would be aborted in the onslaught of their agenda, I would never have aborted a child. Dr. King would never have agreed with the violent violation of the civil rights of millions of aborted babies or Planned Parenthood’s subsequent blitz of women’s health problems related to chemical and artificial birth control methods. This conclusion leads me to remind my readers that I too have a dream: it’s in my genes. How can the dream survive if we murder the children?
A large portion of prominent African American leaders defend abortion, despite the fact that black children are three to 5 times more likely to be aborted [than white children]. Why do you think this is?
It’s outrageous that Margaret Sanger’s Negro Project to control the birth rate of blacks is alive and thriving today because so many black leaders have sold their constituents the lie that abortion is the key to emancipating African American women. Abortion kills babies and hurts women and families. These pro-abortion voices are not the voices of black America.
Can you talk about your involvement with the ‘Silent No More’ Awareness Campaign, and why this is important to you?
I only pray that this raises awareness that abortion doesn’t just terminate a life; it devastates the survivors. Through God’s grace, I’ve experienced forgiveness and healing, and I want all people scarred by abortion to know that the same forgiveness and healing is available to them. Even more, I want women everywhere to know that nothing good comes from ending the lives of their children.
Liz Everett is a sophomore PLS and English major living in McGlinn Hall who loves the film “The Great Escape” and especially its handsome character Roger Bartlett. Contact her at eeveret1@nd.edu.
