{"id":192876,"date":"2018-12-26T10:33:36","date_gmt":"2018-12-26T16:33:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=192876"},"modified":"2018-12-22T23:15:54","modified_gmt":"2018-12-23T05:15:54","slug":"march-for-life-president-expansion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/march-for-life-president-expansion\/","title":{"rendered":"March for Life president hints at strategic expansion in recent interview"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Since 2012, Jeanne Mancini has been president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, the organization behind the March for Life. During an interview with Catholic News Agency\u2019s CNA Newsroom podcast (Episode 5)<\/a>, Mancini shared her thoughts on the state of the pro-life movement and hinted at plans to continue expanding the reach and impact of the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., which is the annual capstone event of the pro-life movement. With echoes of the great Civil Rights marches of the 1960s, tens of thousands of citizens from across the United States brave the freezing weather in our nation\u2019s capital each year to demand an end to legalized abortion.<\/p>\n

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How massive was the crowd for the #MarchForLife2018<\/a>? Check out this time-lapse video by @Students4LifeHQ<\/a> . Now if only the mainstream media would cover this awesome #ProLife<\/a> event! https:\/\/t.co\/HMoJJ5zyUk<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Julie Roys (@reachjulieroys) January 20, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Witnessing to the dignity of human life with religious and faithful from Charlotte, North Carolina. #MarchforLife<\/a> #MarchForLife2018<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/mAQEoshK3e<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Fr Joseph Matlak (@IosephBenedict) January 22, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jeanne Mancini took the mantle of the March for Life from famous pro-life activist Nellie Gray. Gray organized the first March for Life in 1974, the year following Roe v. Wade<\/em>, and continued to do so each year\u00a0until her death in 2012<\/a>. Mancini has brought fresh energy and dynamism to the March for Life. “The founder of the March for Life was 88 when she passed away, and so she wasn\u2019t that engaged in social media,” Mancini explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

During her tenure thus far, Mancini has been able to capitalize on the vigor and enthusiasm of a young pro-life movement including spreading the message using all forms of mass communication. \u201cWe\u2019ve also worked to grow our social media presence quite a bit,\u201d Mancini said. \u201cAnd so it\u2019s been fun to work with young people and to grow that presence.\u201d In spite of the media continuously downplaying the event\u2019s significance<\/a>, the March for Life is thriving and growing through the organization\u2019s dynamic outreach. In fact, some sources estimated the March for Life in 2018 drew a crowd of 100,000<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Theme of 2019 March for Life<\/p><\/div>\n

READ:\u00a0Media bias clearly seen in coverage of march for women vs. March for Life<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Over the decades, attendance at the March for Life has become the way for pro-life leaders to take a public and powerful stand in defense of the preborn. In 2017, Vice President Mike Pence became the first sitting VP to address the March for Life<\/a>. In 2018, President Trump became the first sitting president to address the march via live video<\/a>. Previous pro-life presidents, including George W. Bush<\/a> and Ronald Reagan<\/a>, also regularly delivered remarks via telephone.<\/p>\n

Despite the preponderance of Republican politicians at the event, Mancini reiterated her commitment to keeping the March for Life a nonpartisan event. “We always try to have both sides of the political aisle represented at the March for Life, and sadly that\u2019s become harder and harder,” she acknowledged. The case of pro-life Democrat Dan Lipinski, who cancelled his appearance in 2018 after President Trump’s address to the march, made this increasing polarization all too palpable. “But we also seek to get legislators from around the country and state houses, for example, because there are many pro-life Democrats at the state level, so that is something that we\u2019re hoping to see at this year\u2019s March for Life.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Mancini revealed that the March for Life Education and Defense Fund has been working for over a year to develop an action plan to expand the March for Life throughout the country. \u201cWe\u2019re starting to embark upon state marches, and that\u2019s something that I\u2019m hoping to explain a little bit more to people in January,” she said.<\/p>\n