Last week I reported about the pro-abortion billboard campaign that Preterm, a leading abortion provider, launched throughout the Cleveland area (supposedly) but targeting black communities. During the last week, activists in the black community on both the pro-life and pro-choice sides have hammered Preterm.

Newly-elected Cleveland City Councilman Basheer Jones and community activist Mikki Smith appeared on the “Views from the 216” talk radio show with Darvio “The Kingpin” Morrow to discuss the issue, and Smith did not hold back. She described how the executive director of the Union Miles Development Corporation told her about the billboards and she knew she had to take action. (Emphasis added.)

“I wanted to make sure that…we collectively, as the city of Cleveland, as a community, we stood up and we tell them, ‘Not on our watch.  You will not bring this into our community and tell us our children are not necessary.’“

Smith said she wasn’t surprised that the billboards targeted her community.

“We know that Planned Parenthood, Preterm, was created by Margaret Sanger years ago to control population – control the black population.

They popped up all of the Planned Parenthoods in our communities, in our neighborhoods. Why? Because we are not aware. We think, they’re just trying to help us.  No, they’re bringing this in here to get rid of you, so you can stop creating. We were meant to create. We were not meant to abort our children.”

If Preterm or any other abortion provider wants to truly help the black community, Smith says, there are other ways.

“Myself, as a community activist, would prefer that Preterm target conception management, abstinence, not abortion. If they’re going to target anything – get rid of abortion. How about we start teaching the kids, hey, Preterm has contraception management. You can come get free condoms.

Why are you targeting abortions? Why specifically abortions? Why can’t you tell them, ‘Hey, if you’re thinking about having sex come let us help you make that right decision’? You’re telling us after we got into trouble. Now I need to get rid of my kid, ‘Come on here. Come on over to Preterm. We’ll help you get rid of that kid.'”

The hosts of Views from the 216 have asked Preterm representatives to be on the show to talk about the placement of the billboards and answer Mikki Smith’s questions, but they replied that they were not available.

Councilman Basheer Jones said he had a meeting scheduled with Preterm’s leaders, but has not issued a statement about the meeting.