World News
Pro-lifer says abortion is leading cause of death in black community
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ALEXANDRIA, Va. (CNS) -- As she held an umbrella to protect her from the blazing sun, Beverly Anderson clutched her rosary beads and prayed on the sidewalk near an abortion clinic on Duke Street in Alexandria June 21. She was joined by about 15 others who prayed for an end to abortion. It's something she does every week. However, for her as a black woman June has been particularly poignant because it is abortion awareness month in the black community. For the last seven years the New York-based National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life, headed by Franciscan Father James Goode, has declared June to be "Abortion and All Acts of Violence Awareness Month in the African-American Community." "Abortion is the leading cause of death in the black community," said Anderson. "People are not aware of that." According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's abortion surveillance report, 35 percent of abortions in the United States are performed on African-American women, who make up 12 percent of the U.S. population.
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