‘Equality begins in the womb’: March for Life unveils theme for 2022 DC event
The March for Life, the large annual gathering of pro-life activists in the nation’s capital, revealed that the theme for its 49th march next year is “equality begins in the womb.”
Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, unveiled the theme on Wednesday at an event held at The Heritage Foundation headquarters in Washington, D.C., and live-streamed on Facebook.
During her remarks, Mancini explained that the theme came in response to the recent national dialogues about the nature of equality in the United States, saying the word is “invoked often,” yet “rarely defined.”
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“While nearly everyone seems to agree that the topic of equality is important, there’s little agreement on what the definition of equality is, and who it applies to, and how that should be applied to important policy questions,” said Mancini.
“We want to expand this debate, this rigorous debate, about equality to include unborn children who are often overlooked because they cannot speak for themselves.”
Mancini said she believes “there is real value in our culture recognizing the inherent dignity of every human life” and that aspects like race, disability status, and economic background “don’t matter.”
“What matters is the fact that each of us is a human being,” she continued. “What matters is that life is precious, and that because it has this inherent human dignity, that it should be protected from the moment of conception.”
In addition to Mancini, pro-life activists including Carrie Campbell Severino of the Judicial Network, Ryan Bomberger of The Radiance Foundation, and Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie of The Catholic Association gave remarks at the unveiling event.
Heritage Foundation President Kay Cole James, who is scheduled to step down as head of the prominent conservative organization in a few weeks, gave the opening speech and spoke about how much she prioritizes the pro-life cause.
“The life issue is one that I care so deeply about,” said James. “At my heart, at the very heart, is fighting for the right to life of preborn children in our country, for the elderly, for those who are born with disabilities.”
It was also announced that at the pre-March rally, award-winning contemporary Christian music star Matthew West will perform for those who gather at the National Mall.
“I want to encourage you to join me and thousands of other pro-lifers who believe that every life matters, every story deserves a chance to be told,” said West in a video shown at the event. “It’s important for us to come together and be a voice for the voiceless.”
In January, for the first time in its history, the March for Life was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 March for Life took place before the first lockdowns.
Speakers included various state lawmakers and former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow who talked about his mother’s decision not to abort him despite major pregnancy complications.
“I’m so grateful my mom gave me a chance at life, because many times she could have made the choice to do something different,” said Tebow to his virtual audience at the time. “But because of her pro-life story, I get to share my story.”
The 2022 March for Life, slated to take place Jan. 21, 2022, comes as the U.S. Supreme Court considers multiple cases that might overrule the 1973 decision Roe v. Wade.
Last week, for example, the Supreme Court agreed to hear oral arguments on Nov. 1 regarding the constitutionality of a Texas law that prohibits most abortions once a baby's heartbeat is detected, which is usually around six weeks into a pregnancy.
Texas’ heartbeat abortion ban contradicts the legal precedent of Roe, which prohibits states from banning abortions before fetal viability.
