RNC speaker Abby Johnson appears at Union University, sparks protests

JACKSON, Tenn. — A nationally-known outspoken pro-life advocate, who at one time supported a woman’s right to choose, spoke at a local Christian college.

Union University Auxiliary hosted Abby Johnson, a former clinic director for Planned Parenthood.

She spoke to students and the community about her decision to leave the organization.

“To allow someone to speak on that on our campus, it’s very important,” student volunteer from the group Life 139, Peter Holmquist, said.

Tuesday, well known pro-life advocate Abby Johnson spoke on Union University’s campus about her experience working with Planned Parenthood.

Students and the community attended ‘An Evening with Abby’ to hear her story.

One student who volunteered at the event says he believes the community needs to stand together for life.

“I’m a little bit newer to the organization of life 139, so being able to get the perspective and hear someone speak on this live I think will be very important for me,” Holmquist said.

“I hope that people see that lives matter, especially the lives of the unborn, as those are some of the lives being taken in amazing numbers,” Holmquist said.

While people inside listened to Johnson’s speech, a group of students, faculty, and alumni stood outside with signs protesting her visit.

“If you’re going to be pro life, you need to be pro life for all terms of life, not just the beginning. So I, and a lot of people here, are here to say that with me,” student and organizer Jadelynne Green said.

Protesters we spoke with said they don’t believe Johnson actually stands for the issue of pro life because of controversial comments they say she made on social media about her bi-racial son and the issue of racial profiling of minorities by police.

“If her son was racially profiled, that it’s okay, and we believe that’s not okay. If you have a black son, you should not be okay with that,” Green said.

“I am a student of color here at this university, and I don’t want my university to say that this is okay, and that this is something we should stand for,” Green said.

Just last week, Johnson was one of the featured speakers at the Republican National Convention.