Dr. Mildred Jefferson was born on April 4, 1926. She fought racism, sexism and fake feminism to become a history-making trailblazer. Dr. Jefferson was the first black woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School. She was the first female surgeon at Boston Medical Center. She dedicated her life to caring for the poor and the sick. Her passion to defend the most marginalized led her to cofound the National Right to Life Committee and live a life devoted to fighting the violence of abortion. (Read more about Dr. Mildred Jefferson here.)
Thanks to incredible donors, we have established a fund to honor the incredible legacy of Dr. Jefferson. Each year, during the week of her birthday, we will honor an individual who exemplifies her courage, eloquence and tenacity. The inaugural Dr. Mildred Jefferson Trailblazer Award has been given to a passionate defender of Life, Catherine Davis, Founder of The Restoration Project.
When the award was announced to Catherine this week, there were plenty of tears flowing from both the Radiance Foundation founders and the recipient. Davis wrote: “Words can sometimes fail to describe the depth of appreciation being felt. This is one of those occasions. To be considered a trailblazer in the order of Dr. Mildred Jefferson is a high honor indeed and I am grateful to the Radiance Foundation for considering my work worthy of this prestigious award. Thank you!”
Just a note. The tears came before she even knew she was also receiving a $5,000 grant (to further her work to help abort Roe) as part of the award. We just cried even more with joy.
Together, The Radiance Foundation and Catherine Davis have blazed trails launching one of the most (if not the most) reported-on pro-life campaigns in history. The TooManyAborted.com billboard and social media campaign was the first public ad campaign to deal with the hugely disproportionate and devastating impact of abortion in the black community. As a civil rights defender who lives in the Atlanta area, Catherine deftly navigated hostile news interviews and challenged the false media narratives that black women need abortion. Her eloquent fight and fiery passion have lit up college campuses, churches, conferences and Capitol Hill hearings and briefings. As a national public speaker, Catherine is an irreplaceable asset in the pro-life movement. She is even running for Governor in her home state of Georgia. We are honored to call her friend and continue to partner with her in this fight for Life and justice.
Congratulations Catherine Davis! You are our 2022 Trailblazer!
To say that the answer to our ‘social justice’ issues is to kill the baby is intellectually, politically, and socially insulting. We are being targeted by the abortion industry, and if we don’t protect the baby in the womb, there is no protection to those that are born.” –Catherine Davis, founder of The Restoration Project