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New York (CNN) -- A billboard has sparked controversy in New York after an anti-abortion group erected a sign focused exclusively on African-American abortion rates. The sign -- which was paid for by an organization called Life Always -- reads: "The most dangerous place for an African-American is in the womb." The billboard -- located roughly a half mile from a Planned Parenthood facility in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood -- features an African-American girl. "They're attacking women for choosing abortion while simultaneously destroying family planning," said spokeswoman Mary Alice Carr for the New York-based National Institute for Reproductive Health. "Their hypocrisy is as large and as obnoxious as this billboard." But Pastor Stephen Broden, a Life Always board member, told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday that "it's hard to celebrate Black History Month" with abortion "hanging over our community." "Abortion is out-pacing life in our community" and he said the billboard's message is meant to be a "provocative" way to illustrate the problem. African-Americans tend to have high abortion rates when compared to other demographic groups, according to Rebecca Wind, a spokeswoman for the Guttmacher Institute, a New York-based research center for s*xual and reproductive health. The disparity is in part attributed to a "lack of adequate services" in many black communities, which "has resulted in more unintended pregnancies," Wind said. According to the Life Always website, the move is an attempt "to raise public awareness of Life issues through advertising and raise truths about Life issues to educate and empower individuals." The sign is part of a national campaign where more billboards will appear over the next couple of months across the country, Life Always spokeswoman Marissa Gabrysch said. Critics say the message is misleading. "The issue is here they are doing a campaign, targeting one group of women and making them feel guilty and shameful about family choices that they are making," Carr said. "You can't take a woman and lift her out of her experience." But Rev. Derek A McCoy, another Life Always board member, told reporters something needs to be done about abortion in the black community and this is "calling attention to a dramatic event." "This is a truth and tragedy," he said. Broden said "The child (in the billboard) was selected for her innocence."
Posted By: Siebra Muhammad
Thursday, February 24th 2011 at 12:03PM
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[ "it's hard to celebrate Black History Month" with abortion "hanging over our community." ]
I am really happy that someone cares enough to address some of the issues that are plaguing our community. Hopefully soon and together we will all get there and save our children in the womb. Kuddos to Life Always!
Thursday, February 24th 2011 at 3:23PM
Jen Fad
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we need to stick together and stop letting people and the media cloud our minds with this type advertising. trying to tell us not to reproduce, many blacks have been brainwashed to believe that they shouldn't have kids. while people are constantly trying to erase us off the face of the earth.
Thursday, February 24th 2011 at 4:40PM
Lee Parris
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@ Lee
...we need to stick together and stop letting people and the media cloud our minds with this type advertising. ...
Abortion is something that I'm really passionate about not to mention,Homes*xuality, s*xual Molestation by family mbrs, AIDS/HIV, Affordable Housing, ect..., are all issues that affect the Black community amogst the countless number of other things that this blog will not allow time to mention.
Please expound on what is meant by your above comment about "we" since it is a fact that Black people don't stick together except when its against White people. What's up with the False Unity? Is it because Feb. is Black History Month? If that is the case, then I understand.
Thursday, February 24th 2011 at 5:18PM
Jen Fad
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@ jen don't really know what you want me to answer, or why you put WE in quotation marks, but I do mean we as a whole, take in consideration B.E.T how many programs did they show about black history this month not only this month but definately since Viacom purchased it. the only thing I saw was a couple of gangsta movies. But moving on WE, meaning people as a whole yeah our people have aids but so do every other race, but you can not say black people have the highest amount of HIV but they don't know they have it because their not getting tested. So where are they getting the false numbers from? Also already since 2011 there have been over 22 reports of the black person did it when really they did it theirselves. Also we have to hold ourselves and the younger generations accountable and teach them. For the young boys and girls we have to tell them about how great they really are. Also mothers have to stop teaching their little girls to go out and get a tough guy, as a result you have young black boys who are trying to impress these young ladies at any cause, by acting out as their favorite rappers. and young men we need to teach them about how to focus energy without trying to join a a gang. Once again look who main stream music target these rappers who the kids are funding thier wealth any way then they turn around and say Im the biggest drug dealer, I do this I do that. but when you call them out on it they say oh its just entertainment. so why want they say that to thier young followers.
Sunday, February 27th 2011 at 2:20PM
Lee Parris
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@ Lee
Thanks for taking the time to clarify what you meant when you stated "we"... I wasn't trying to put you on the spot, but merely wanted to be sure of what you meant by "we need to stick together". I think for the most part that your are right on paper, but how long will it take for us to live out some of these espoused values in real life? Perhaps anouther 400 years, eh?
For me you buttressed my own personal notion that "we" Black people don't stick together when you refernced the example of the Rappers who will sell out for the sake of making the almighty dollar at the expense of our youth. It's not just in entertainment industry, but in many facets of our community this happens. I love my people, but I've learned that "we" don't stick up for one another or stick together except when its against White people. I wish you would come of up with a magical spell to rectify this.
Monday, February 28th 2011 at 9:53AM
Jen Fad
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Lee, I totally agree with you. It'a amazing how this billboard focuses on Black/African American abortions, as if Whites and other races aren't guilty of doing the same thing.
I remember taking a psychology class in college and the teacher was discussing abortion. And there was this White woman in our class who recently had her fifth abortion. I've never been pregnant, however I along with a few other students asked her did she have any regrets about what she had done, she told us that a fetus was nothing more than a parasite feeding off the mother and that since it can't sustain life on it's own, abortion is no different than having a tumor removed. That ended the conversation for us.
Some people say that calling abortion murder is bold and combative. I think killing their babies is bold and combative. Back in the day women of all ethnic groups would at least have a guilty conscience about having abortions... now abortion is like popping a pimple.
Monday, February 28th 2011 at 2:32PM
Siebra Muhammad
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@ Sister Siebra,
I guess this is where I will agree to disagree with you all. No hard feelings, but as a health care practitioner it merely is an educational tool to reach out and education a community from a health care standpoint. I don't feel the billboard is an attack on the Black community or Black women no more than putting up a bill board in any other community trying to make people aware of a specific problem. I don't think there would be a need to do this (put of HUGE billboards) if we in our own communities do something about some of the issues that we are dying from but we are too, silent on issues like abortion, s*xual abuse, molestation, Black on Black crime, AIDS/HIV. I'm sorry but I guess I think someone needs to help us save our little ones in the womb especially after the Infanticide committed at the abortion clinic in the poor Black neighborhood in Philadelphia. Has anyone heard about that case?
Tuesday, March 1st 2011 at 10:42AM
Jen Fad
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Jen, I'm aware of the Philly issue as well as my contention that viable exceptions include rape, incest and the life of the mother, but you know the media wants you to believe that Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood was a saint...but in actuality she was an avowed racist that paid black ministers in minority areas to encourage abortion among their membership and in their communities. As a means of population control for the undesireables (meaning black people, to her).
So that is why I find myself agreeing with Lee's comment to stop letting people and the media cloud our minds with this type advertising...yes there are Black women getting abortions but we make up 14 percent, so we can't possibly be the ones who tend to have high abortion rates. But it is what the racists want you to believe.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: If it's true that African-Americans tend to have high abortion rates when compared to Whites and other demographic groups, how is it that we also make up the majority of welfare too?
Tuesday, March 1st 2011 at 12:45PM
Siebra Muhammad
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I'm not disputing who Margaret Sanger was, the media's bias when it comes to the Black community, nor am I disputing what ethnic group receives welfare more. The fact remains that Black women are aborting innocent babies at greater rates than before and the billboard brings attention to that fact. That was my point.
Moreover Black women are doing so (aborting little Black babies) using the Planned Parenthood services started by Sanger. We in the Black community need to stop being so defensive and sensitive about the facts and start addressing the issues happening where we live. Has anyone ever thought to ask why these things are happening in our community instead of trying to defend the reasons?
It used to be that abortion was something that White women did, but now Black women have followed suit having abortions like nobodies' business. I'd love to hear more dialogue regarding why you think this is occurring and what we as Black women can do about it.
Wednesday, March 2nd 2011 at 2:08PM
Jen Fad
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Jen, remember their are 3 sides to every story...
1. LIES
2. DAMN LIES, and
3. THE TRUTH.
Like I said earlier, if it's true that African-Americans tend to have high abortion rates when compared to Whites and other demographic groups, how is it that we also make up the majority of welfare too?
I'm not good in algebra but I can do basic math...and seriously this story doesn't add up. Stats that I am familiar with show that the majority of abortions are performed on white women. According to the census, 2010 was the first time ever that more Black and Hispanic children were born in the United States than White children.
Wednesday, March 2nd 2011 at 2:40PM
Siebra Muhammad
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I have a thought. Can we agree that abortion in the Black community is a topic worthy of discussion for solutions? Do you agree that it is happening in the Black community? If yes, then let's at least try to figure out why Black women are opting for this alternative instead of adoption or having a family mbr to raise the child like in the olden days? Perhaps the reason Black women are now aborting children is because many have become indoctrinated into mainstream American culture. I think that would be a reasonable conclusion. I definitely think adoption is a better solution than abortion. I will take this opportunity to exit at stage left. Thanks for the blog and the dialogue.
Wednesday, March 2nd 2011 at 4:50PM
Jen Fad
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IM NOT AN RACIST JUST A REALIST!!!!! WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL IT WAS THIS WHITE GIRL WHO LIKED ME I NEVER SAID ONE WORD TO HER SOME HOW SHE MANAGED TO GET MY NUMBER I NEVER TALKED TO HER NEXT THING I KNOW HERE COME THE POLICE TRYING TO SERVE ME WITH A RESTRAINING ORDER, AT THE SCHOOL FOR A LIE IN WHICH EVEN THE PRINCIPAL AND GUIDANCE COUNSELOR TOOK PART IN. THEY HAD WRITTEN FAKE LETTERS AND THEY SUPPOSEDLY WERE FROM ME. I SAID ONE, I DONT WRITE LETTERS, DEFINATELY IN PURPLE INK WITH LITTLE CIRCLES OVER THE i'S ALSO I DON'T FOLD PAPER LIKE THAT, AND THE MAIN THING THATS NOT EVEN HOW YOU SPELL MY NAME. SO LONG STORY SHORT MY SISTER CONFRONTED THE GIRL AND SHE STARTED CRYING AND TOLD THE POLICE SHE MADE IT UP, AND TOLD WHO WAS ALL INVOLVED IN IT
Saturday, March 5th 2011 at 12:00AM
Lee Parris
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BUT THESE ARE THE KINDS OF STORIES THAT TEAR DOWN THE BLACK RACE, THAT ALL BLACK MEN ARE SCARY AND MAD, AND ALL BLACK WOMEN ARE SO LOUD AND RUDE. THEY TRY TO TURN US AGAINST EACH OTHER THEY GO AFTER THE SUPER WELL TO DO PEOPLE FIRST, LIKE OPRAH "ME AND MIDDLE AGE WHITE WOMEN THINK EXACTLY THE SAME" OH REALLY? THEY WILL PUT BLACK MEN ARE GAY AND ON THE DOWN LOW AT AN ALARMING RATE ( YES SOME) BUT SO ARE OTHER RACES. THEN THEY WILL PUT BLACK WOMEN CAN'T FIND ANY BLACK MATE WHO CAN MATCH THIER SUCCESS. SO THEN YOU NOW HAVE ALOT OF WOMEN SAYING I DON'T NEED A MAN, I WILL ADOPT SO WHEN REALLY LIKE I SAID BEFORE THEY WILL WORK YOU LIKE A DOG AND THEN TRY TO s*x YOU AND USE YOU AS AN MISTRESS, WHEN YOU REALLY ARE HAD WORKERS SAM AS BLACK MEN, BUT BY THIS NOW MEN WHO HOLD DEGREES AND MULTIPLE DEGREES BUT FAIL TO GET HIRED MUST LOOK FOR INCOME ELSEWHERE AND NOW THEY ARE SCARED TO APPROACH THE SUCCESFUL BLACK WOMEN BECAUSE ITS ALREADY OUT THERE VIA THE MEDIA THAT BLACK WOMEN DON'T WANT A MAN APPROACHING THEM IF THEIR NOT MAKING THE SAME OR BETTER. BUT WHAT WE TEND TO FORGET ABOUT IS "WHITE PRIVILEGE" YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES A WHITE WOMAN WHO GOT MAD FOR WHATEVER REASON TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD HAVE MY JOB? AND WHITE MEN. I ALWAYS TELL THEM TO GO AHEAD. WHY ARE THEY THREATENED BECAUSE I BLACK, 6'7 AND HAVE A DEEP VOICE? IS THAT THE QUALIFICATIONS. THEY BRAINWASH OUR PEOPLE INTO TINKING THAT RACISM IS OVER WHEN ITS ALIVE AND WELL AND HEADING BACK TO RECORD REPORTS OF RACISM DEFINATELY SINCE PRESIDENT OBAMA CAME IN OFFICE
Saturday, March 5th 2011 at 12:16AM
Lee Parris
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SIEBRA AND JEN YOU HIT ON ALOT OF GOOD POINTS
Saturday, March 5th 2011 at 12:17AM
Lee Parris
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Wow...you have gave a great sermon here brother...you couldn't have said it any better than I did
Saturday, March 5th 2011 at 2:15PM
Siebra Muhammad
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@ Brother Lee,
I can appreciate your view especially about Black women have now bought into the notion that abortion is a way to get up the corporate ladder. For me, I have been permanently 'mommy tracked' since I became a mommy. There are some things that I put ahead of the corporate world and that's family. Having grown up in the rural South, family is all that one had at the end of the day. For me, there are just some things that just don't change. If you were fortunate to not endure any mental health issues or any loss of loved ones after Sept 11th, then you know that having family and spending each waking moment with family is something to be cherished because one can never know when that last moment will be sometimes.
As far as the other things you stated about Race relations in America those are things that we all can improve on. Thank goodness there are people like President Obama and First Lady Michelle in the White House for us to see that it's possible for Black people to obtain the highest office in the land. As a Black woman, I have fought hard to free my mind of what the Late Bob Marley called, 'Mental Slavery'. It is only by the Grace of God that I have been freed from that. For me, it's not so much about how others see (You or other people on BIA or America) me but how I view myself. I don't allow people to box me into any particular box or grp. I've learned in this life that we have to be who we wanna be and not what people think we should be.
As far as Abortion in the Black community, we should re-evaluate this trend and start looking at real solutions on how we can prevent unwanted pregnacies like
1. Having a game plan on paper.
2. Carry c*ndoms and use effective means of birth control
3. Have goals with workable and obtainable strategies to reach those goals
4. Be realistic. Is this person that I'm planning on having s*x with someone that if the c*ndom burst and he father a child with me, would he be a good loving father and provide for me and my baby?
5. Is this man responsible?
6. How is having a baby now going to affect the well being of this child in the future.
7. Am I ready to be a responsible person
8. Ect.....
Friday, March 18th 2011 at 5:04PM
Jen Fad
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