Heroic Media — the Texas-based anti-abortion group founded by Brian Follett, supported by both Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee, and responsible for a controversial ad campaign in Florida — has expanded its cause to New York City.
As The Texas Independent’s Patrick Brendel reported yesterday, a billboard depicting a young African-American girl in front of the phrase “The Most Dangerous place for an African American is in the womb” was unveiled in Manhattan earlier this week. The ad has already become a topic of discussion in several media outlets, including on ABC’s The View.
A similar billboard was unveiled in Jacksonville in December, which Planned Parenthood called “reprehensible.”
The three-story New York billboard was paid for by Life Always, a group that counts Heroic founder Brian Follett as its registered agent. Follett has been criticized for past comments equating Planned Parenthood’s efforts to “genocide”; Heroic has often attacked Planned Parenthood in its “Planned Parenthood Aborts African Americans” campaign.
Life Always Board Member Pastor Stephen Broden referenced genocide in a press release (.pdf) touting the billboard’s launch.
“During Black History Month, we celebrate our history, but our future is in jeopardy as a genocidal plot is carried out through abortion,” said Broden. “We have seen the heartbreaking effects of opportunists who happen to be Black Abortionists perpetrating this atrocity; it’s not just babies who are in danger, it’s also their mothers, and our society at large.”
Though some have distanced themselves from Heroic Media following Follett’s controversial comments, the organization still counts at least two likely 2012 GOP presidential hopefuls as supporters: former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has spoken at several Heroic events, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee spoke at a Heroic dinner just last week in Orlando. Neither has abandoned their endorsement of the group. Huckabee’s political action committee never returned emails or calls for comments about his involvement with Heroic.
