One statue that must come down

As the statues of famous founding fathers of America, explorers, saints, and other pivotal figures in American life have been toppled, one by one, one bust of a figure who held far more controversial and even systematic racist view remains proudly standing on display in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. That bust is of Margaret Sanger.

Sanger is perhaps best known as the founder of Planned Parenthood. And it is for this reason that the forces of the abortion movement have, at least until now, stood proudly and vociferously behind the presence of her name in highly visible public places, and her statue in the esteemed exhibit hall at the Smithsonian.

How can this be, and be left in place? Sanger targeted minorities, the poor and disenfranchised, with increased birth control and abortion clinic access in their neighborhoods. Sanger’s despicable views of humans focused on those she and other eugenicists regarded as inferior races and populations which should (they believed) be controlled, reduced and eliminated.

Before the current and widespread protests over names on buildings, institutions, sports teams, parks, streets and other public places, leading to destruction of statues or public announcements of their removal by authorities, there were concerted efforts to remove the bust of Margaret Sanger from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery exhibit called ‘Struggle for Justice.’

Human rights advocates joined the cause of calling on the Smithsonian to remove Sanger’s bust, making clear the injustices in causes she championed and her involvement with the KKK and Nazi Party among reasons that should disqualify her for recognition in our capitol.

Planned Parenthood steadfastly praised Margaret Sanger. However, that may be changing—finally. At least in their Manhattan facility, the abortion giant has decided to remove the name of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger from that clinic’s name, because of her well known and controversial connections to the eugenics movement and her own beliefs about lives unworthy of life, or care, or human rights.

Now is the time for our nation to call for the removal of that statue. That her bust is near those of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks in that exhibit gallery is more than a major offense the cause of justice and respect for human life and dignity for Black pastors who petitioned the Smithsonian to remove Sanger’s statue and rallied there to demand it.

Human rights advocates joined the cause of calling on the Smithsonian to remove Sanger’s bust, making clear the injustices in causes she championed and her involvement with the KKK and Nazi Party among reasons that should disqualify her image and name from an honorable tribute to notable activists who ‘struggled for justice’. That exhibit should stand as a teaching moment. This is the moment for instructive action that would elevate the meaning of that cause.