Cecile Richards Steps Down as the President of Planned Parenthood

Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood’s longtime president, stepped down earlier this month. The organization has yet to announce their future plans and will be holding off until the board of directors meet and make a final decision.

Richards has been the head of Planned Parenthood for more than a decade and has been known as the group’s most-high profile spokeswoman. Richards, who is 60 and married with three children, learned the ropes of politics from her mother, Ann Richards, former governor of Texas.

Ann Richards was famous for her criticism of George H. W. Bush. She has repeatedly defended women’s reproductive rights and the organization’s work, which includes a multitude of things, like the need to provide contraception to women of all ages, health screenings to women around the country, and around one-third of the nation’s abortions.

Cecile Richards said upon leaving, “Planned Parenthood has been a trusted resource in this country for more than a century, and I will be leaving the organization well-positioned to serve and fight for our patients for a century more. Every day we see the incredible power that grassroots voices can have – there has never been a better moment to be an activist. You can bet I’ll be marching right alongside them, continuing to travel around the country advocating for the basic rights and health care that all people deserve.”

Richards’ departure from her role at Planned Parenthood has come at a time when many abortion-rights opponents are feeling hopeful and confident about advancing their goals, including ending Planned Parenthood as an organization. President Donald Trump has given these abortion-rights opponents several victories throughout his first year in office.

However, Richards’ stepping down will have no detrimental impact on Planned Parenthood organizations nationwide, according to Richards. Accordingly, the local Planned Parenthood, situated in downtown Canton, will remain open to students and residents alike; they will continue to offer STI screenings, family planning services, and contraceptive counseling to any individual who walks through their door.

The news of a change in leadership for the organization was greeted with calls for a shift in direction from these hopeful abortion-rights opponents. Penny Nance, the CEO of the conservative group Concerned Women for America, which opposes abortion rights, says “Whoever takes over for Richards is likely to face more battles with activists who want to see more legal restrictions on abortion.” She also told NPR, “This is a very sad legacy, and I hope that whoever comes after her will reconsider the direction and mission of Planned Parenthood.”

At this year’s Women’s Activist March in Las Vegas, Richards demanded that white women “listen up.” She alluded to recent electoral victories for Democrats in multiple states, where black women and other voters of color rallied in large numbers to support Democratic candidates like Senator Doug Jones. Richards said “We’ve got to do better. It is not up to women of color to save this country from itself. That’s on all of us.”

Many have said that Planned Parenthood should elect a woman of color as their next president; however, only time will tell what decision will be made in regards to Planned Parenthood as an organization and their further efforts for women’s rights.