Acknowledging founder Margaret Sanger’s ties to the eugenics movement as well as her “racist legacy,” Planned Parenthood of Greater New York said Tuesday it would remove her name from a building and also work to scrub her name from an honorary street sign.
Sanger’s support of eugenics has long been criticized by pro-life activists. She died in 1966.
Sanger opened the first Planned Parenthood clinic in 1916 and is considered the founder of the national organization.
In a statement, the New York Planned Parenthood chapter said the announcement “reflects the first of many organizational shifts to address Sanger’s legacy and system of institutional racism, which negatively impacts the well-being of patients, staff and PPGNY’s broader communities.”
“The removal of Margaret Sanger’s name from our building is both a necessary and overdue step to reckon with our legacy and acknowledge Planned Parenthood’s contributions to historical reproductive harm within communities of color,” said Karen Seltzer, board chair at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York. “Margaret Sanger’s concerns and advocacy for reproductive health have been clearly documented, but so too has her racist legacy. There is overwhelming evidence for Sanger’s deep belief in eugenic ideology, which runs completely counter to our values at PPGNY. Removing her name is an important step toward representing who we are as an organization and who we serve.”
The New York chapter also said it would work to remove her name from an honorary street, Margaret Sanger Square.
Pro-life activist Marjorie Dannenfelser said it was the “first time” in Planned Parenthood’s 104-year history “that they’ve acknowledged their racist roots.”
“The next step for Planned Parenthood is recognizing that Margaret Sanger’s racist legacy continues today, as abortion continues to disproportionately impact minority communities, especially the black community,” said Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony List. “We call on Planned Parenthood to immediately publish its historical abortion data by race given indications they have skewed the placement of abortion facilities and actively target minority communities.
“Further, we call on Planned Parenthood to drop its fierce opposition to anti-discrimination laws that protect unborn children from being selected for abortion due to their race, sex, or disability.”
Dannenfelser said the announcement should lead House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to return their Planned Parenthood awards named for Margaret Sanger.
“The pro-life movement will continue to fight for the legal right to life of every unborn child – regardless of their ethnicity, gender, and disability – and stand ready to lovingly assist their parents, no matter the circumstances,” Dannenfelser said
The following is from Pro Life Across America
- 18 days from conception, heart begins to beat, with the baby’s own blood.
- 28 days from conception a baby has eyes, ears, and even a tongue!
- 28 days from conception: Muscles are developing along the future spine. Arms and legs are budding.
- 30 days: Child has grown 10,000 times to 6-7mm (1/4”) long. Brain has human proportions. Blood flows in veins.
- 42 days: Skeleton is formed. Brain coordinates movement of muscles and organs. Reflex responses have begun.
- 42 days: Brain waves can be detected, the jaw forms, including teeth and taste buds. The unborn baby begins to swallow amniotic fluid. Fingers and toes are developing.
- 45 days from conception: The unborn baby is making body movements, a full 12 weeks before the mother may notice such stirrings. By seven weeks the chest and abdomen are fully formed. Swimming with a natural swimmer’s stroke in the amniotic fluid, the baby now looks like a miniature human infant.
- 44-45 days: Buds of milk teeth appear, and the unborn baby’s facial muscles develop. Eyelids begin to form, protecting the developing eyes. Elbows take shape. Internal organs are present, but immature. 99% of muscles are present, each with its own nerve supply.
- 52 Days: Spontaneous movement begins. The unborn baby then develops a whole collection of moves over the next 4 weeks including hiccuping, frowning, squinting, furrowing the brow, pursing the lips, moving individual arms and legs, head turning, touching his/her face, breathing (without air), stretching, opening the mouth, yawning and sucking. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. Psalms 139:14-16
