New Cincinnati, OH Billboards Highlight Death Toll of Young Women-of-Color

On August 11, 2014, Protecting Black Life launched its provocative “Roll Call Billboard Campaign.” The campaign’s prime objective is to inform Black Americans in Greater Cincinnati, as well as the community at-large, that an ever-increasing number of young women-of-color are ending up dead, following so-called safe abortions. Abortion is the #1 killer of African Americans. If a “roll” were “called,” these beautiful, vibrant, young women are no longer able to give a response.

Protecting Black Life’s billboards are located in ten of Cincinnati’s Black neighborhoods where Ohio’s highest number of abortions occur. According to the Ohio Department of Health’s “2012 Induced Abortions in Ohio” report, there were 748 abortions in the 10 Black neighborhoods where Protecting Black Life’s billboards are located.

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The first billboard in the campaign features Laura Hope Smith. On September 13, 2007, young, beautiful, vibrant, 22-year-old Laura entered the Women’s Health Center in Hyannis, Massachusetts for an abortion. When Laura’s friend arrived to pick her up, Laura was not in the waiting room. An employee of the abortion mill said that Laura had aspirated during the abortion, and 911 was sending an emergency response team. Although Laura was rushed to the hospital, it was too late! Laura can’t answer the “roll” when her name is “called” because she is no longer alive.

SPECIAL NOTE:Protecting Black Life has full permission of Laura Hope Smith’s family to share her story and to use her image in this campaign.

“Although we are highlighting Laura in this phase of our campaign, don’t think for one minute that she is the only young victim of premature death by abortion. There are many more, and we will continue to expose this tragic truth. It is our hope that this campaign will prevent some young woman from being lured down the same dead-end road to abortion as  Laura,” said Arnold M. Culbreath, director of the campaign.