On Friday, January, 24 at Frank Ogawa Plaza, in front of Oakland City Hall, Walter Hoye will lead the 13th Stand Up 4 Life rally and march. Despite the fact that the abortion holocaust decimates the African-American community more than any other, the event is the only black-led pro-life event in the country.

The Stand Up 4 Life Rally and March began in 2008. Although a then-new event, Hoye was able to attract speakers like Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life; Mrs. Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King, and the Reverend Clenard Childress, founder of BlackGenocide.org.

As Stand Up 4 Life has grown, Hoye continued to attract powerful figures, not only among the African American pro-life community, but also American pro-lifers of other races, such as Father Pavone, Dr. Pat Castle of LIFE Runners, Shawn Carney of 40 Days for Life, and even the Nigerian pro-lifer Obianuju Ekeocha, foundress and CEO of Culture of Life Africa. Over the years the event has become a “who’s who” of the African-American pro life movement: Karen Shablin, Elaine Riddick, Rev. Antoine Lamar Miller, Pastor Bruce Rivers, Pastor Walter Moss, Catholic Lay Evangelist Richard Lane.

Hoye’s standing as a genuine pro-life hero helps. In 2008, he was arrested and served 30 days in jail for  saying to a woman entering an abortion business “Jesus loves you and your baby. Let us help you.” He did not obstruct her in any way, yet he was arrested and imprisoned. With the help of the Life Legal Defense Foundation, Hoye’s conviction was overturned, and Oakland’s “bubble ordinance,” under which he was charged, was declared unconstitutional by a federal court.

The roots of Hoye’s dedication is explained by the abortion industry’s own statistics. The decimation of the African-American community through abortion would be unbelievable were it not a cold, hard fact. Hoye writes on his website: “Ground zero. Black America. Since abortion was legalized in 1973, more Black American babies have been killed by abortion than the total number of Black American deaths from all other causes combined. More black children are aborted in New York City than are born alive. One can see why Hoye calls abortion in America “our Darfur”; why Rev. Childress calls his organization BlackGenocide.org.

One of this year’s guest speakers is again the Rev. Clenard Childress, Jr. In addition to his role as founder of BlackGenocide.org he serves as pastor of the New Calvary Baptist Church in Montclair, NJ. Rev. Childress is joined by author and activist, Rochelle Peterson, author of Does God Really Care About Politics: God And Government“, which Hoye describes as a “very clear and concise treatise for anyone wanting to empower themselves with a greater understanding of politics and how it relates to the Kingdom of God.” She serves an executive member of the Frederick Douglass Foundation of California and a member of the Faith Fellowship Church in San Leandro.

The Stand Up 4 Life Rally begins at 12 p.m., Friday, January 24, in front of Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland. To learn more, visit https://www.issues4life.org/s4life.html

– Gibbons Cooney