As African American History Month comes to a close, we consider the impact abortion has had upon the community.  In the United States of America, tragically, black Americans are disproportionately targeted for abortion. While comprising 13 percent of the total population*, African Americans account for a staggering 36 percent of the nation’s abortions.**

Thankfully, many courageous individuals and organizations are working to reverse these statistics. At the 2017 March for Life, Bishop Vincent Mathews, Jr., President of the International Missions Department of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the nation’s largest African American denomination, spoke passionately about his work on adoption.

“Enough is enough. It’s time to rise up. It’s time to save lives!”

WATCH the full clip:

Since November 2015, COGIC has engaged in a “Family Life Campaign” challenging church members to take personal action in the fight for life. Mathews encourages members to adopt children from the foster care system and babies in danger of being aborted. “It’s about going home, rolling up your sleeves, and taking care of a child…” he shared.

Thabiti Anyabwile, pastor at Anacostia River Church in the Washington, D.C. area is also speaking up about the tragedy of abortion for the African American community.

“I am hopeful. If the conscience and compassion of the community is awakened; if African American churches are mobilized and understand this from and personal and historical perspective, it holds great promise for changing the minds of the country, changing the hearts of the country, to make abortion unthinkable.”

WATCH the full clip:

One of the most passionate speakers at the 2017 March for Life was Congresswoman Mia Love, who is the first female African American Republican elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.  She boldly declared, “Every time we kill a child, we, all of us suffer. We lose a little of ourselves and a whole lot of our future.”

Every child that is lost to abortion, every woman and family that is wounded by abortion, is a tragedy. Let us resolve to end the scourge of abortion on the African American community, and across our country.

*(US Census Bureau: https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-06.pdf)

**(Center for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/ss/ss6512a1.htm).