THE NEW “FREEDOM RIDERS”FOR THE UNBORNExcerpted from an article written by Joseph PronechenOn-Going Dialog on Life Issues1960’s Freedom RidersAs the civil-rights movement was simmering in the early1960s, black men and women, often accompanied by whitesympathizers, boarded buses in the American South and satwherever they wanted. These “freedom riders” challengedlocal and state laws and customs that kept the races separateon public transportation as well as in waiting rooms and restrooms.New cause for Civil RightsA new kind of freedom rider is taking to the road as“Freedom Riders for the Unborn” turns the ignition key. Arally and concert kicked off the first Freedom Ride in Birmingham,Ala. It began with a prayer vigil at Planned Parenthoodbefore pro-life leaders boarded a bus and headed toAtlanta for a late afternoon pro-life service at the tomb of theRev. Martin Luther King Jr.Martin Luther King’s niece, Dr. Alveeda King, director ofPriests for Life’s African-American Outreach, envisionedthe Freedom Rides for the Unborn and officially introducedthe movement in Birmingham April 27. Linking the FreedomRides for the Unborn to the concept and method of the1961 Freedom Rides for civil rights was the result of a conversationFather Pavone and King had while attending aMarch for Life. “This is the civil-rights movement” of thiscentury, King concluded.More To ComeThe first Freedom Ride for the Unborn, led by FatherPavone and King, from Birmingham to Atlanta took placeon July 23-24, andcame just months before the 50th anniversaryof the original Freedom Rides in 2011. On the originalFreedom Ride, 13 people boarded a bus in Washington, D.C.to travel to New Orleans to test a Supreme Court decisionthat outlawed racial segregation on interstate transportationvehicles. When the riders ran into opposition in Alabama,hundreds of others joined them. That one Freedom Ridemultiplied into 60 across many states. Plans call for today’sFreedom Rides for the Unborn also to multiply. “This is notjust a one-time event,” stressed Father Pavone, who looksforward to scheduling dozens of rides in all parts of thecountry over the next year. “We want it to be a continuingopportunity for unifying the pro-life movement.”Mobilize and UnifyThe goal is also to mobilize and unify people. King sees therides bringing together “pro-life people from many walks oflife, from across the country, of (different) denominations,ethnic groups, ages, younger and older,” she said. “We’re alltogether for a common cause, and that is for life.”Many MemoriesBirmingham has significant memories for King, whose father,A.D. King, was also a civil-rights leader. Their homewas bombed in 1963, and a classmate was killed in thebombing of 16th Street Baptist <strong>Church</strong> across the way. Yether family of <strong>Christi</strong>an preachers — father, grandfather anduncle — “preached the love of God and we’re all equal inthe sight of God,” said King.Same ResultsShe envisions the same ultimate success with Freedom Ridesfor the Unborn as the original civil-rights Freedom Ridesrealized: This ride will be “for justice and freedom for all,from conception until natural death.” “Certainly in this decadeAmerica has become pro-life,” she explained. “We aremoving toward a victory. My uncle would always say,‘Truth crushed to earth will rise again.’ And the truth for lifeis arising for America.”Freedom From the lie of Abortion“Freedom from lies” is one lesson the ride will teach. Abortionfrom the very beginning is where lies are implanted inthe heart. For example, once a father denies the truth of hisvocation as a man to defend the life of his child regardless ofhis circumstances, he is deeply wounded. He becomes imprisonedby those lies and needs to be set free from thoselies. The symbolic connection of the first Freedom Rideswith the new one also underlines the generational trauma onAfrican-American families: Many minority communities aretargeted for abortion and contraception, with abortion clinicsset up in very poor neighborhoods.In support of the Freedom Riders, Birmingham BishopRobert Baker sent a letter to all parishes to encourage participation.“It’s another event like the March for Life inWashington, D.C., to draw attention to the plight of the unborn,”Bishop Baker told the Register. “It’s important to doall humanly possible to underline the moral gravity of abortionand help women in distress to find alternatives. TheFreedom Ride for life is a visible, peaceful expression ofconcern for the right to life for the unborn. It is in the traditionof Freedom Rides for civil rights in the past.”Prayer is at Its Heart“Prayer is at the heart of this pro-life movement,” FatherPavone emphasized. “People need to pray very deliberately,and specifically, to end abortion.”LOVE IS…..from the eyes of a child“During my piano recital, I was on stage and was scared. Ilooked at all the people watching me and saw my Daddy wavingand smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn’tscared anymore.” Cindy—age 8
September, <strong>2010</strong> Baptisms<strong>Corpus</strong> Christ Welcomes Its Newest Sons and Daughters
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