May Flights of Angels lead Dr Mildred Jefferson to Her Rest

For the many people who may not remember Dr Mildred Jefferson, here's a little history of the early days in the pro-life movement, and one woman's role. Mildred died on Friday October 15th, but her legacy will live on forever. Just like Rosa Parks, she made a mark on her time.

Mildred broke the barriers of her day in 1951, when she became the first Black woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School, and then the first female surgical intern at Boston City Hospital. Later, she became the first female doctor at Boston University Medical Ctr. Have you seen her obituary anywhere? Most people will answer no. Why not? Because Mildred Jefferson lived her life as a pro-life hero.

In 1970, the American Medical Association resolved, that member physicians could perform abortions ethically in states where the procedure was legal. Mildred Jefferson rose to the occasion. She saw the American Medical Association's position, as an abandonment of the Hippocratic Oath, which admonishes doctors to "do no harm". In fact, Mildred said, "I am at once a physician, a citizen and a woman, and I am not willing to stand aside and allow this concept of expendable human lives to turn this great land of ours into just another exclusive reservation where only the perfect, the privileged and the planned have the right to live," she said.

Dr. Jefferson became a co-founder of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), serving as vice-chairman of NRLC's board, and then as chairman and then president from 1975 to 1978. She was a crucial lynch-pin in the early years which developed the right to life movement as we know it today.

During her tenure at NRLC, Mildred stressed the necessity for the pro-life movement to be a broad based coalition in defense of human life. She said, "We come together from all parts of our land, we come rich and poor, proud and plain, religious and agnostic, politically committed and independent ... the right to life cause is not the concern of only a special few, but it should be the cause of all those who care about fairness and justice, love and compassion and liberty with law."

In the annals of the pro-life movement, few will ever influence the movement as Mildred did, and continues to do. She was not quiet about racial genocide. She will take her place alongside other Civil Rights heroes.