Chanting, “You must remove the bust” black pastors and activists rallied in front of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. to demand the museum remove a bust honoring Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, an early eugenicist who referred to certain populations as “human weeds and human waste.”
The campaign to remove the bust comes as the undercover video investigation carried out by the Center for Medical Progress continues to focus attention on gruesome practice of buying and selling of aborted baby parts that is carried out in Planned Parenthood clinics.
Of particular concern to the pastors is the special enmity Sanger had for blacks. Sanger ran a program called the Negro Project to insinuate her message into the black community. Sanger hired charismatic black pastors to help her specifically target the black community. Sanger wrote that hiring charismatic “colored ministers” would ensure no one would think “we want to exterminate the race and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.”
Bishop E.W. Jackson, who organized the rally said, “No wonder the KKK loved her.” Sanger was a welcome speaker before KKK audiences.
Jackson and the other speakers are particularly incensed that the bust of Sanger appears in an exhibit called The Struggle for Justice that features civil rights heroes including Frederick Douglas, Booker T. Washington, Marion Anderson and others. Many speakers pointed out the irony that Sanger’s bust appears between Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks.
Jackson said, “If Margaret Sanger had her way, MLK and Rosa Parks would never have been born.”
Jackson and his allies sent a letter to the Gallery demanding her bust be removed. The Gallery answered, “Margaret Sanger is included because she strived to bring medical advice and affordable birth control to disadvantaged women.”
In response Jackson quoted from Sanger’s book, The Pivot of Civilization, “Our civilization has bred, is breeding and is perpetuating constantly increasing numbers of defectives, delinquents, and dependents.”
“What I just read to you; does that sound like someone interested in helping disadvantaged women? She was not interested in helping them. She was interested in getting rid of them. She thought they weren’t worthy of life,” said Jackson.
Pastors from around the country also spoke, along with Brent Bozell, one of only about five white faces at the podium. Bozell pointed out that he was Catholic and that Sanger has a special hatred for Catholics and the Church. He said Sanger’s bust should be removed and the space left blank “to represent the men and women who are not here because of her.”
Marjorie Danenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, said: “The Struggles for Justice exhibit ought to be reserved for true champions of human rights. Margaret Sanger, a racist eugenicist who called the poor, the disabled, those of lower intelligence and minorities ‘human weeds,’ and ‘choking human undergrowth’ to be cleared out, does not belong in this hall of heroes. It’s as plain and simple as that.”
The “Struggles for Justice” exhibit ought to be reserved for true champions of human rights. Margaret Sanger, a racist eugenicist who called the poor, the disabled, those of lower intelligence and minorities ‘human weeds,’ and ‘choking human undergrowth’ to be cleared out, does not belong in this hall of heroes. It’s as plain and simple as that.”
Lila Rose of Live Action insisted that the Federal Government should defund Planned Parenthood. The group receives $500 billion a year in taxpayer funds.
Reverend Johnny Winter urged the Gallery curator to watch the documentary Maafa 21 that examines “the black genocide” that even now takes 258,000 black lives every year through abortion.
Many speakers pointed out that in many cities, New York City in particular, that more black babies are aborted than are born and that Planned Parenthood abortion clinics are disproportionately placed in or near minority neighborhoods.
One thing not pointed out by the speakers is that the exhibit honors Sanger along with Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who is honored for her groundbreaking work with those with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities. Once known as “retarded”, they were the target of eugenicists like Sanger and her admirers in the Nazi Party. She was outspoken in her believe that the “feeble minded” should be sterilized.
Jackson and his allies have started a petition to the Gallery, a part of the taxpayer funded Smithsonian Institution, asking that the bust be removed. So far, 14,000 have signed. Jackson presented the petition to a Gallery staff member in front of the bust of Margaret Sanger.
Follow Austin Ruse on Twitter @austinruse
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