The Right to Life Movement

Introduction

The Right to Life Movement is anti-abortion and anti-euthanasia, placing a heavy moral emphasis on the value of every human life.

Doctor Mildred Fay Jefferson: An Early Activist

A photograph portrait of Dr. Mildred Fay Jefferson in 2010.

Mildred Fay Jefferson (April 6, 1927 – October 15, 2010) was a prominent figure of the Right to Life Movement. She was the vice president of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) in 1973, elected as chairman in 1974, and then elected as president, serving three terms from 1975 to 1978. But her activism started as early as 1970. In 1975, Jefferson was the first to witness in the prosecution against Kenneth Edelin, charged with manslaughter, for his performance of a legal abortion. In 1980, she helped start a political action committee in the NRLC for lobbying and supporting anti-abortion candidates. Most interestingly, Jefferson is responsible for convincing Ronald Reagan to change his stance from pro-choice to anti-abortion (i.e., pro-life). She had also ran for Senate three times in 1982, 1990, and 1994, but they were all unsuccessful.

As we can see, Jefferson worked really hard against the pro-choice ideology. And not just in the Right to Life Movement, but also in politics—to the point of changing Ronald Reagan's mind. Therefore, it is also clear that she has been a very prominent figure in the general Right to Life Movement.

Fun Fact

Mildred Fay Jefferson was the first Black woman to graduate from Harvard University!

Additionally, the reason she is anti-abortion is because of her job as a physician and because of her subscription to the Hippocratic oath—to do no harm.

Victory, For Now

In the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022) Supreme Court case, the justices overturned Roe v. Wade (1973), ending federal protection of abortion rights (returning this power to the states). This case started when a Mississippi law outlawing abortions after 15 weeks was challenged, giving the Supreme Court an opportunity to revisit Roe v. Wade. The people involved in the case were the Mississippi state officials, Jackson Women's Health Organization (the last abortion clinic in Mississippi), and—obviously—the Supreme Court justices. The impact of Roe v. Wade being overturned by this case was gargantuan. Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization is regarded as a major win for the anti-abortion/Right to Life Movement. Many abortion bans were created and enforced in many conservative states after the ruling of this case. Of course, this case also reignited the debate between reproductive rights and state authority.

In conclusion, the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022) case was a substantial win for the Right to Life Movement, as it overturned Roe v. Wade (1973), abolishing the federal protection for abortion rights and returning authority to the states.