A recent story of a controversial pro-life billboard has a relative of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., speaking out.
In February, CBS Outdoor refused to put up a sign by Flint Area Right to Life that quoted Planned Parenthood's founder Margaret Sanger.
The company says the sign was out of context and offensive.
Tuesday morning, NBC25's Dan Armstrong spoke with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, niece about that message.
The controversial sign displayed a picture of Margaret Sanger with the following quote next to her: "We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population."
Dr. Alveda King, daughter of Rev. A.D. King, who was brother to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., says, "The ad ought to go up 'Planned Parenthood hates women and hurts women, and kills babies.'" Dr. Alveda King is a Pastoral Associate for Priests for Life and founder of King for America.
Dr. King says billboard companies are caving in to pro-choice ideas.
"It is a massive genocidal movement primarily to eliminate African Americans and Hispanics and to control the population of the young."
Planned Parenthood says the quote is taken out of context and is spreading ignorance.
However, King says little has changed over the years.
"Planned Parenthood still upholds the exact standards that Margaret Sanger promoted. My own mother was almost tricked into aborting me in 1950."
Here's another controversy, did Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., accept the first Margaret Sanger Award?
We know he was offered it in 1966.
His wife accepted it on his behalf and read a speech which includes, "There is a striking kinship between our movement and Margaret Sanger's early efforts... Like all poor, negro and white, they have many unwanted children... This is a cruel evil they urgently need to control... We spend paltry sums for population planning, even though its spontaneous growth is an urgent threat to life on our planet."
Dr. Alveda King says those are not the words of her uncle.
"He did not attend the ceremony. He did not write the speech that was read by his wife who did go to the ceremony."
Planned Parenthood says Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was ill and unable to attend the ceremony.
Planned Parenthood says the Sanger quote is about birth control, not abortion.
It says Sanger was speaking out against the ignorance of the day that said birth control would exterminate entire races of people.
Dr. Alveda King says her uncle would be disgusted that many Planned Parenthood locations and abortion clinics are on or near streets bearing her uncle's name.
Do you think Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was prolife or prochoice? Leave us your comments here or on the NBC25 Facebook page.
