Hey, Kanye: As Abortion Storytellers, We’re Setting the Record Straight
July 14, 2020Last week, Kanye West gave a wide-ranging interview in Forbes in which he made a series of declarations. He announced he’s taking off his red MAGA hat, claimed he’s running for president as a member of “the Birthday Party” (even though he has not filed any paperwork), and spread white supremacist lies about abortion. If he weren’t using his platform to spread misinformation, much of his interview could be dismissed as ridiculous.
“I am pro-life because I’m following the word of the Bible,” Kanye announced before claiming that Planned Parenthood health centers “have been placed inside cities by white supremacists to do the Devil’s work.”
But this widespread anti-abortion myth—that abortion clinics are more prevalent in communities of color—is false. The Guttmacher Institute, a nonpartisan research organization, found that only 13 percent of abortion clinics are in majority Latinx communities and fewer than 1 in 10 clinics are in majority Black communities. Ironically, the fact that over 60 percent of abortion clinics are located in majority-white neighborhoods creates logistical and financial barriers for people of color who need access to abortions.