Public Figure (Abolition of Abortion)
Successful movements often have a Public Figure who represents the movement as a whole. For example, Dr. Martin Luther King served as the public figure for Civil Rights.
Olaudah Equiano acted as the Public Figure for the British abolition movement. After attaining his freedom, Equiano devoted his life to traveling around England speaking about the realities of the slave trade. His autobiography, which depicted the horrors of slavery, sold thousands of copies. When the British thought about slavery, they thought of this eloquent man who stayed out of politics.
The Public Figure operates in the arena of ideas convincing the people to change their minds. The problem with the pro-life movement is that we have no Dr. Martin Luther King Jr . to represent our cause. Instead we have dozens of somewhat influential people who have only a mediocre following.
Ideally this public figure would be an attractive, eloquent and diplomatic woman. She is the type of person people listen to even when they disagree with her because she is so engaging. When she is on CNN, viewers stop changing the channels to listen to her speak.
I am convinced that a man cannot serve as an effective public figure. Could MLK have led his movement if he were white? Men have less authority to speak about abortion because the ramifications only affect them indirectly. Part of what has hurt the Pro-Life movement is that its primary leaders have been mostly men. I don’t want to discount their heroic accomplishments, but they need to allow a woman to surpass them if we want to reach new heights.
What do you think?
If you have any questions or comments, we would love to hear from you. Leave me a comment or send me an email. If you would like to comment on any post in particular here they are:
- Introduction
- Public Figure
- Floor Champion
- Hill Agitator
- Public Agitator
- Financial Backer
- Denominational Coordinator
- The Architect & Baby Steps
- Minutemen
- Conclusion
- Full PDF
Tags: Abolition of Abortion, Abortion, Pro-Life
Subscribe via email
July 8th, 2008 at 12:54 am
And yet so many women have already tried. Of course, all that means is that the right woman hasn’t risen to answer God’s call yet.
Readers, check out [u]http://prolifeteenagers.com/[/u]. I think young people will have more impact on this issue than older people. This new website may encourage the younger generation to action.
July 9th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Part of the reason Equiano was so effective was because of his personal story. He was a walking exhibit, bearing marks from his experience with slavery. Martin Luther King also experienced prejudice and dreamed of the day when blacks and whites would peacefully coexist. The Public Figure, in addition to the other qualifications, might be someone who has been personally touched by the tragedy of abortion. The story of the public figure will draw in those who would not otherwise listen.