NAACP Criticized for Blocking Pro-Life Efforts to Overturn Abortion Policy
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
July 12, 2004
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — In February, the NAACP adopted a position in favor of abortion for the first time in the history of the nation’s largest civil rights organization. Now, the group is preventing pro-life delegates at its national convention from putting forward an effort to reverse the decision.
A local NAACP chapter in Macon, Georgia says the national organization has refused to allow it to present a resolution overturning the pro-abortion decision.
Loretta Grier, president of the affiliate, was shocked when she was told by NAACP officials that her resolution was invalid because they claim her group had not properly filed a financial document for her chapter.
"That was absurd," Grier said in response. "I checked with our secretary and she assured me that the report was filed well before the cut off date. Even if resolutions are rejected, they are usually printed for delegates to view. The resolution wasn’t even given that due process; I am deeply troubled by all this."
The NAACP’s action has pro-life groups crying foul.
Rev. Clenard Childress, Jr., the director of L.E.A.R.N., an African-American pro-life organization, said the "NAACP’s refusal to allow this resolution is nothing less than censorship.
"The present leadership is charting a course without a moral compass," Childress added. "They have made decisions without consensus or caucus."
After adopting the pro-abortion policy, NAACP Board Chair Julian Bond said, "This is an issue of equal rights, and we are pleased to join those insisting on a woman’s right to control her own body."
During its quarterly meeting in New York on February 21, the NAACP board of directors also adopted a resolution supporting the April 25th national pro-abortion march, which was co-sponsored by leading abortion advocacy groups such as NARAL, Planned Parenthood and NOW.
Despite the powerful coalition of organization backing abortion, and support form the NAACP, the march only had half the turnout organizers expected.
Reverend Childress says the NAACP’s decision is not supported by black Americans.
A recent poll conducted by Black Enterprise Magazine found that 60% of African Americans disapproved of the decision to take a pro-abortion policy position.
Calls from LifeNews.com to the NAACP were not returned and a main NAACP email address was not working at press time.
Though the civil rights group won’t debate the pro-life resolution, the organization is rallying black leaders to support pro-abortion Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and to increase voter turnout to defeat President Bush.
Because of the partisan political overtones, Bush will not address the convention.
Meanwhile, Childress says the NAACP fails to see the damage abortion does to the black community.
Since the 1973 Supreme Court decision allowing unlimited abortions, 14 millions abortions have been performed on black women. The abortion rate of black women is three times higher than that of white women and 60% of African-American women who become pregnant will have an abortion.
ACTION: Make your views known. Contact the NAACP about their decision to endorse abortion at NAACP, 4805 Mt. Hope Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215 or call (877) NAACP-98. Email [email protected].
