Dr. Willie Parker, resident of Chicago, Illinois, is one of only two doctors providing abortions in Mississippi. (The Pink House is the last abortion clinic left in the state.) Parker travels to Mississippi from Chicago to provide abortion care in a small pink building twice per month. Up to 45 women travel from all over the state to get to the clinic each day that Parker is there. When they arrive they encounter constant pro-life protests outside the clinic gates. Parker thinks of providing abortions as his civil-rights struggle and believes that an important way to bring women out of poverty is to help them have control over their reproductive decisions. He works with a dedicated and courageous group of women who keep the clinic open and provide much needed health care for women in the state. They are fighting an ongoing battle with the state of Mississippi to stay open.
Parker says, “The protestors say they are opposed to abortion because they are Christian. It’s hard for them to accept that I do abortions because I’m a Christian.” Parker can relate to the struggle with faith and what it means to be a true Christian because Parker believes in God himself. However, Parker’s relationship with God tells him that helping people in their time of need is of utmost importance in life.
To learn more about Dr. Parker’s story click here and to learn more about how you can help the last abortion clinic in Mississippi click here.
1. Thanks to Rebeccah S. and Coral F. for writing and editing on this.