Blog by Haika Mrema
On June 24th, pro-life activists gathered to celebrate the first anniversary of the overturn of Roe v. Wade which deconstructed 50 years of federal legal protection for abortion.
Several pro-life organizations, such as Students for Life, Live Action, 40 Days for Life, and the Pro-Life Partners Foundation, collaborated to host the first National Celebrate Life Rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.
Attendees of the rally heard from prominent figures in the pro-life movement, including the niece of Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Alveda King, Kristan Hawkins of Students for Life, Lila Rose of Live Action, former Vice President Mike Pence, and Michael Knowles of the Daily Wire.
Upon arriving at the event, I was drawn to the various kinds of people who joined in the celebration. There was a diverse range of people in multiple demographics, including age, gender, and race. It encouraged me to see how the pro-life movement represents many Americans in general, as the issue surrounding the sanctity of life affects all of us.
I interviewed several people to hear why they were attending the rally, and the responses were life-giving.
All were there to celebrate the protection for the sanctity of life, but for most, their intentions go deeper than that.
“I think we’re here to be able to provide witness to the preborn babies that have died through the horrors of abortion,” one attendee said. “And also to try to promote America to be more pro-life.”
Many of the people I interviewed are looking to dismantle the misconceptions surrounding the pro-life movement, especially the notion that it only cares about the child up until birth.
“We support both the mother and the child because the mother needs just as much protection,” another attendee said.
“The truth is there is a waiting list for people who want to adopt babies,” she added. “That’s what the pro-life movement is about is getting those babies proper homes and giving the mothers the care that they need – even if the pregnancy was unexpected.”
I concluded my interviews by asking participants to leave a “message of hope” as we celebrated the anniversary of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Some said the work is just beginning.
“Now, we can all start moving in a positive direction. Instead of confrontation, maybe we can embrace the situation,” one woman said. “Young life is hope. And families, let’s just see a bunch of babies running around again.”
Attending this rally was the experience of a lifetime, and I am proud to be a part of the post-Roe generation.