We are less than five months away from the next March for Life in Washington DC and the president
of the March for Life is here to reveal what the 2021 theme will be. The annual pro-life
event draws in tens if not hundreds of thousands to the nation's capital each year.
The March for Life is a peaceful protest of the 1973 Roe vs Wade Supreme Court decision
that legalized abortion nationwide.
This year's coronavirus pandemic has forced most pro-life events to become virtual, but
March for Life organizers are moving ahead with 2021 plans, with the event scheduled
for January 29th.
And joining us now via Skype is the March for Life president herself, Jeannie Mancini.
Jeannie, welcome back. We are excited to hear what the theme of the 2021 March for Life will be. Can
you reveal what that is now? I can, and thanks so much for having me, Catherine. Our 2021 theme is
together strong, life unites. Together strong, life unites.
And if I could just say a word or two, every year, we really try to discern well what the
theme should be for the March for Life, because, given that we're the largest annual human
rights peaceful demonstration, the theme allows us, as springboard, to communicate and to
educate about what the most...
pressing needs are of our time. And so, you know, in years past, we have had adoption,
a noble decision. We have had pro-life is pro-science. We have had pro-life
and pro-woman go hand in hand. We have had all sorts of, I think, wonderful themes.
But this year, with a 2020 that's been so unusual in many different ways, the idea of
uniting together and how each of us brings something different to the table, how the
variety is beautiful, and how together we're stronger, it just seems like the right theme.
Right. Jeannie, tell us more about that. Considering the year we've all had, tell us about the planning and the prayer that went into deciding this theme, Together Strong, Life Unites.
So I mean, well, you know, personally, I'm just a person of prayer. I try to be a person of deep prayer. And so it's something I personally spend a lot of time praying about.
But I mean, I know different staff members.
feel the same way and act in the same way.
But we will consult with each other on the staff,
and then we consult with experts in the field, so to speak.
So whether that's different groups with messaging
or different graphic designers that just
have a really artistic eye and understanding
of these kinds of things.
So we get lots of input and feedback.
feedback and then ultimately make the decision when it feels right.
So sometimes it's easier than others this year.
The unity theme seemed obvious, but coming up with the actual language took a little bit longer.
You know, Jeannie, abortion does divide a mother from her child. And talking about abortion also
can divide this country. Can we overcome that? Can we achieve unity here?
We can. So, Katherine, you're pointing out such a good point. So, the theme is a positive one.
Life unites, but the opposite is the case, that abortion divides. It's just
As you said, abortion divides mom from her baby.
It divides mom and dad from each other.
siblings from the baby really abortion divides love from a culture and so our
goal within the March for Life and working for the pro-life movement is to
build a culture of life a culture of love of course where the family is the
foundation of that and choosing life heroically is the foundation of that
and so I absolutely do believe it can be overcome anything can happen with God's
grace and it's very much our mission.
Do you hope or expect that this theme of Together Strong Life Unites will draw more people to
the March for Life, including people who typically would not consider going or people who have
been attending other marches this year?
Well, I certainly hope so, because, with the theme, we choose really exceptional speakers,
some very well-known and some that haven't yet been announced, some that have.
But I would certainly hope that the theme and our wonderful lineup of speakers and just
the bottom line issue itself would draw many, many out.
We've been asked a lot, will you march again this year, you know, with everything going
on?
Listen, we marched.
it during the blizzard of 2016. We have marched during government shutdowns. We marched after 9-11.
We will march again this year. We have marched for 47 years.
And no, you know, no sacrifice is too great to fight this human rights abuse of abortion.
It will be another historic March, I'm sure.
Jeannie, it is an understatement to say this time is a time of great uncertainty.
That being said, what is your message to prospective 2021 March for Lifers should they start making
arrangements to travel to D.C.?
You know, everybody has to make that decision on their own, you know, considering their
own situations, et cetera.
So, but I certainly would be, and I obviously will be there this year.
I think that standing for life and standing for inherent human dignity of every life,
from conception to natural death, is all the more important.
This year, when there is so much unrest, so much division.
in our country, we need to show that we are stronger together and that love and life unite us.
They make us stronger. Can you make any announcements about who will be at next year's rally quite yet?
Well, I can. One very exciting announcement, but stay tuned because there will be more.
that Matthew West will be our musician prior to the rally. So Matthew is a huge
get for the March for Life and he's just a fantastic, phenomenal musician. Of
course he had a song in the movie Unplanned with Abby Johnson's story. So
we hope that everybody, in addition to all the issues that we already named and
namely the the biggest issue why we march every year, that people will come to
the march.
also hear Matthew's wonderful and inspiring music.
That's so exciting. And finally, Jeanie, can you just give a brief word of advice to our pro-life viewers on this theme of unity and how they can contribute to unity on this topic of abortion?
Yes. So, I mean, it goes right along with our beautiful Catholic anthropology and even
an understanding of the Trinity. It's that, you know, none of us are alike. We're all
very different, but when we come together, we're stronger. You know, Catherine, you have
a gift that I don't. I have a gift that you don't, so to speak, but when we're together,
melding those gifts together, we're much stronger. We're a fortified wall, I guess you could say.
And so, for each of your viewers...
to look deep in their heart to pray what is the gift that God's asking me to bring to help build a culture of life in
these days and to realize that there's something irreplaceable that you can do and that we need you to do that.
That is beautiful. And just a reminder to all our viewers, you can get the latest updates on
the 2021 March for Life by going to marchforlife.org. Jeannie Mancini, president of the March for Life,
thanks for your time and this exciting announcement. Well, thank you so much for having me. Thank you.