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DALLAS, October 28, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain’s public position against abortion is backed up by years of advocacy against the killing of unborn African-Americans, black pro-life leaders said in a statement Thursday.

The announcement came days after the candidate raised controversy with statements during an interview that appeared to indicate that he supported a pro-choice position on abortion in some cases.

Cain told CNN’s Piers Morgan that, while he believes life begins at conception and is personally opposed to all abortions, when the child is conceived in rape or incest, the option about whether to keep the child “ultimately gets down to a choice that that family or that mother has to make.”

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“It gets down to that family. And whatever they decide, they decide. I shouldn’t try to tell them what decision to make for such a sensitive decision,” he said.

In a subsequent statement, Cain said that his answer “was focused on the role of the President. The President has no constitutional authority to order any such action [not to have an abortion] by anyone. That was the point I was trying to convey.”

Days earlier, the candidate had been strongly cheered at the Values Voter Summit for his “no exceptions” position statement against abortion.  “You can pursue liberty all you want to, as long as you don’t tread on somebody else’s life. And that includes the life of the unborn,” he said.

On Thursday, a group of black pro-life leaders said that, while not endorsing the African-American candidate, they wished to publish “a recognition of [Cain’s] clear Pro-Life position and years of participation to end the staggering abortion rate in the Black community and in the general population of America.”

“We the undersigned stand in full support of Mr. Cain’s stated Pro-Life position of affirming life from conception until natural death; his strong support for a Human Life Amendment; and his history of involvement in the Pro-Life community’s fight for life,” wrote the leaders, which included Pastor Stephen Broden, California activist Walter Hoye, and Alveda King, pro-life advocate and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Cain’s pro-life stance, coupled with his history of support both financially and otherwise, clearly represent that Mr. Cain is a bona fide Pro-Life candidate.”

The group noted that, during his 2004 campaign for Senate in Georgia, Cain made the life issue a priority and signed the strictly-worded affirmation by Georgia Right to Life. They also note reports that Cain has contributed over a million dollars to African-American pro-life outreach.

Cain is also noted for his vocal opposition to Planned Parenthood, condemning its eugenicist/racist roots in founder Margaret Sanger and dubbing the organization “Planned Genocide” for targeting black communities for abortions.

The full letter is below.

Black Pro-Life leaders are carefully evaluating all presidential candidates and their positions concerning abortion and the right to life.

Therefore, this letter is not an endorsement of Herman Cain’s candidacy for President; it is rather a recognition of his clear Pro-Life position and years of participation to end the staggering abortion rate in the Black community and in the general population of America.

We the undersigned stand in full support of Mr. Cain’s stated Pro-Life position of affirming life from conception until natural death; his strong support for a Human Life Amendment; and his history of involvement in the Pro-Life community’s fight for life. Cain’s pro-life stance, coupled with his history of support both financially and otherwise, clearly represent that Mr. Cain is a bona fide Pro-Life candidate.

Here are a few examples of Mr. Cain’s active involvement in issues related to the Pro-Life concerns: during his 2004 campaign for Senate in Georgia Mr. Cain made life one of his main issues, he signed Georgia Right to Life’s affirmation which is one of the more strict affirmations in the nation. And it is widely reported that he has made contributions exceeding a million dollars to promote the Pro-Life message in the Black Community.

The life issue in the Black community is a matter of urgency especially for those of us who are deeply concerned about the specific targeting of our community by Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers in the abortion industry. We have determined that Herman Cain’s position on abortion is consistent with those within the Pro-Life community.

Pastor Stephen E. Broden
Fair Park Bible Fellowship
Dallas, Texas

Catherine Davis
Founder Restoration Project
Atlanta, Georgia

Dr. Day Gardner
President
National Black Pro-Life Union
Washington, D.C.

Walter B. Hoye ll
Issues 4 Life Foundation
Union City, California

Dr. Alveda King
Civil Rights Activist
King for America
Atlanta, Georgia

Pastor Dean Nelson
Vice President
Frederick Douglass Foundation
Washington, D.C.