We at Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest mourn the loss of Sarah Weddington, the lawyer and abortion storyteller who argued Roe v. Wade in front of the Supreme Court. She was 76.
Sarah helped to represent Norma McCorvey, known in court documents as Jane Roe, before the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade, the case that affirmed the legality of a person’s right to have an abortion. She bravely shared her personal story of being forced to travel to obtain an illegal abortion while finishing law school in 1967.
She then went on to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, as general counsel for the US Department of Agriculture, and as an assistant to President Jimmy Carter. She was also a professor at University of Texas at Austin, where she taught courses on leadership and gender-based discrimination.
Our generous supporters, Sheryl and Harvey White, helped fund our health center on College Avenue and named the center in Sarah’s honor.
We thank Sarah for her courage and voice and are fortunate for leaders like her who fought for the right to choose if and when to start a family. We will continue to honor her legacy in our fight for reproductive rights for all.
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