Blessed Are The Barren Black

Letter Achives

For me history belonged in text books in school and I was raised essentially color blind… in the society I lived in as a child… there were no real differences between people of different colors. White people meant burgers and fries,  Indian people meant amazing samoosas and Chinese people meant sweet and sour pork!  So believe that I am not being dramatic, or that I was groomed with the social  responsibility of embracing titles like "Black" population control.  So who was she?

Hey -- I've just finished reading an article on Planned Parenthood's roots. Like many of the young people today I wasn't very interested in what happened in the 1920's; unless it was in a super romantic movie about some soldier and his love separated  because of a war or something

For me having grown up in a fast  changing world, history belonged in text books in school. Dealing with an issue  began with dealing with it here and now, as it is, and not as it was. So when I read this piece, in my mind the name "Planned Parenthood" stopped being just about "abortion" it  became associated with something that for a black person like me, I found alarming… it  became "Black " population control.

I was raised essentially color blind… in the society I lived in as a child… there were no real differences between people of different colors. White people meant burgers and fries,  Indian people meant amazing samoosas and Chinese people meant sweet and sour pork!  So believe that I am not being dramatic, or that I was groomed with the social  responsibility of embracing titles like "Black" population control.

So who was she? Who was the woman that created this, super evil, super murderous and  super giant called Planned Parenthood? Her name was Margaret Sanger. She was a  woman who embraced eugenics. Eugenics being the idea of a master race, of purifying a  particular race, to its original strain, just like what the Nazis tried to do in world war two.  Though some people would oppose the view that Margaret Sanger was a racist, she was.  She was heard to describe minorities such as black people as unfit and reckless and  irresponsible and deserving to be sterilized! She said that the most urgent problem in her  society was the extravagant sentimentalism that stopped others from "segregating the  morons who are increasing and multiplying".

Though many may say in her defense that she didn't specify this about people of color,  she said it in an age and a time when scientific racism was used as an excuse to prove that  black people were inferior.  So she set about a plan to control the large numbers of children being born to women of  color in America.She didn't start a national campaign and say, "right, I want to sterilize black women," that  wouldn't have been very clever would it? Of course not, so she took the avenue of making it seem like it was a good idea, as if it  was in the best interest of black women to not have children…

So how did she do it?

She put the idea out there about "sex without tears and consequences…" she said that  birth control would increase the quantity and quality of sexual relationships and free the  mind from sexual prejudice and taboo… In other words it would be okay to sleep around  as much as you liked, because you wouldn't have to worry about getting pregnant. And  those taboos that she was talking about were a reference to faiths like Christianity that  insist on one man and one woman intimacy in marriage… she was raised in a home with  a father who had rebellious views of the church… The issue of liberalizing sex should  have been a red warning light for many women, because it is well known that multiple  sexual relationships is degrading and it undermines the confidence and self respect  women have of themselves… and in this day and age… it could mean death, with STD's  and AIDS ravaging the world.

And if that approach didn't work with young black women… there was always the  financial constraint angle that she took. Her argument for birth control was that she came  from a large family and apparently thought that it was a disadvantage. She thought that  she would have had more opportunities in life if she had come from a smaller family and  though it's true to a certain extent that having a large family does put some strain on a  family budget… But I know no one that comes from a big family that can actually point  to anyone of their siblings and say…"well if I could go back in time I would tell my  mother not to have … Tim or Julia, we don't really need them do we?"  Even though your siblings can drive you mad, even when you cry and you fight over the  remote control… and your sister borrows your clothes without asking you and tells your  mom when you sneak out of the house…

{TC} How many of us cry heat tears when we think about  the brother or sister. my brother or sister, that my mother and father aborted. 

There's a bond there between siblings that most  people wouldn't trade the world for. And if that still didn't convince you, the idea of giving birth would be sure to scare you  away, she described it as mental torture… And yet when I go through the posts that many  of you Stand Up Girls who have decided to keep your babies, the pain of birth isn't  usually the focus, but on the amazing little angel that is now in your life…

Yeah, I mean  DUH!!! It hurts, but that's not really a good excuse not to have children is it?

{TC} What thing that's really worthwhile comes easy? Don't we train and practice, pain man!, to do well at b-ball.

For her to sell the idea that it would be "in the best interest" of black women, she had two  barriers to overcome, the first one being color and in those days, her ideals would be met  with suspicion because of the fact that she was a white… A white gal wanting to do  something in the interest of black gals? At that time in history…Hmmm… and the second  barrier was the church. Christianity was a big part of the lives of most black women. And  though not everyone out there can testify to be a church going Christian, church has  played an enormous role in the morals that most people have today… at some point most  people have found themselves being dragged to church by their parents or grand parents. 

Margaret Sanger thought that church ideals about sex and reproduction were old  fashioned and die-hard, she knew that she had a large hurdle to overcome in Christianity. So seeing these two problems an associate of hers came up with the idea of finding black  leaders to be put in positions that would make it seem like they were in charge and some  of them were a charismatic minister… And come on girls… we have been taught to  always trust what the Reverend says, it's from God's mouth, then into the Rev's, isn't it?  And she even said that a black minister would be helpful just incase some of the more  rebellious members of the church caught onto the "Black extermination idea."But not everyone is a church goer and just in case that didn't sell the case, they put the  symbol of what most black women would like to be… a strong, confident, accomplished  and attractive black woman at the helm of Planned Parenthood as it's president… you  wouldn't suspect one of your own of trying to be on their side would you?

My favorite book of all times states that, "you should never trust the kisses of an enemy,"  Planned Parenthood does exactly that… It came in through the back door to win the trust  and respect of black groups and though the organization has turned it's back on it's  founders more "politically incorrect" motives and put a black woman at the helm, doesn't  mean it's anymore helpful today than it was yesterday. A snake is a snake, no matter what  color it is, big or small, a snake is still a snake… it doesn't matter if it seems to be on your  side… could we please learn from the mistake that Eve made… never trust a snake…  especially a helpful one.