A pro-life advocacy group is urging the Smithsonian Institution to remove a statue of Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, from its National Portrait Gallery, citing her history as an avowed eugenicist and racist.
Stanton Public Policy Center, a Washington, D.C.-based pro-life women’s advocacy organization, sent a letter to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III, demanding the immediate removal of Sanger’s display, arguing it contradicts the institution’s mission to present “historically accurate, uplifting, and inclusive portrayals of America’s heritage.
”The call echoes a 2020 directive from the White House, which emphasized supporting a vision of excellence in Smithsonian exhibits. The directive stated, “Our goal is not to interfere with the day-to-day operations of curators or staff, but rather to support a broader vision of excellence that highlights historically accurate, uplifting, and inclusive portrayals of America’s heritage.”
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Stanton Public Policy Center, affiliated with Stanton Healthcare, which operates pro-life women’s medical clinics across the U.S. and internationally, argues that Sanger’s legacy is incompatible with these values.
Brandi Swindell, Founder and CEO of Stanton Public Policy Center, said in the letter, provided to LifeNews, “It is critical the Smithsonian Museum provide us with examples of heroes who offer hope and courage which inspire each of us to work for a nation where all are treated with dignity and equality. Sadly, Margaret Sanger’s racist views and actions stand in stark contrast to these lofty ideals.”
Swindell added, “It is deeply troubling our nation’s most prestigious public museum, funded by tax dollars, is honoring a racist. If Margaret Sanger items are not removed from all Smithsonian Museum collections every American would be paying to celebrate a racist and eugenicist.”
The controversy is not new.
In 2015, over 25 members of Congress called for the removal of Sanger’s display from a civil rights exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery, stating, “Honoring a figure who promoted such hatred and deep-seated racism is not only contrary to the values that the exhibit is purporting to promote, but also deeply antithetical to the very values most Americans hold dear.”
Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Chief Strategy Officer for Stanton Public Policy Center, emphasized that the push to remove Sanger’s statue is not about erasing history but about celebrating figures who reflect the nation’s highest ideals.
“This national call to remove Margaret Sanger items from the Smithsonian Museum collections is not an attempt to rewrite or change history,” Mahoney said. “Rather, it is a way to ensure we celebrate individuals whose lives reflect and embody the very best of who we are as a nation and honor the values we cherish.”
Mahoney continued, “Our national institutions should honor those who have inspired us to be our ‘better selves’ instead of honoring those who malign and diminish entire communities. In light of this, all Margaret Sanger items should be removed from the Smithsonian Museum collections immediately.”
The Smithsonian has faced similar criticism in the past.
In 2015, the institution declined to remove Sanger’s statue despite public outcry, according to reports from LifeNews.com.
