Without abortion, Black women and children can thrive
Editor’s note: Ahead of the 49th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision on Jan. 22, Angelus invited several Catholic pro-life advocates to weigh in on what pro-life advocacy should look like if the Court overturns Roe later this year. Their essays can be found here and in the Jan. 28 print issue of Angelus.
I was born in 1981, eight years after Roe v. Wade convinced American women they had a newfound constitutional right to abortion. When my mother became pregnant outside of marriage, she was pressured to exercise that alleged right. I was scheduled to be aborted at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut.
I am alive because an African American janitor saw my mother crying in the hospital hallway and approached her, asking if she wanted to keep her baby. My mom said yes. The janitor’s peaceful eyes and the words she spoke — “God will give you the strength to have this baby” — led my mother to choose life.