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The March for Life will continue in 2023, marking the pro-life organization’s first demonstration since the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, putting abortion decisions back in the hands of state lawmakers. Organizers recently announced the guest speakers, as well as the adoption of a new route for their march through the Capitol.
Speakers
The March for Life will have two guest speakers for the event: NFL Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy and Jonathan Roumie, star of the hit series The Chosen. Dungy has been very open about his pro-life stance in the past and is expected to draw on his experiences raising eight adoptive children for his remarks. Roumie has become an immensely popular speaker in Christian circles since his breakthrough role as Jesus, and uses his influence to support many Catholic endeavors.
Rounding out the event will be a special musical performance by We Are Messengers. The band originated in Ireland, but has been based in the US since 2015. Their releases routinely reach the top 10 for Christian charts and their music is generally marked by easy-to-sing melodies and lyrics that are sincere in their faith. For a taste of We Are Messengers, take a listen to “God You Are,” one of their biggest hits of 2021.
Why march?
2023 will be an important year for the March for Life, as it celebrates two major milestones in the pro-life movement. Of course, the first reason to celebrate is the reversal of Roe, but the March for Life is also commemorating the 50th year of prolife demonstrations. The theme of the January 20 March for Life has been announced as “Next Steps: Marching in a Post-Roe America.”
The pro-life movement has a lot of work to do now that Roe and Dobbs are off the books. What was once a single major lobbying effort at the federal level will now expand to encompass 50 legislative battles taking place across every state. March for Life noted in a press release that the fight will also continue at the federal level as some lawmakers attempt to enshrine the spirit of Roe with new laws:
“Already, pro-abortion politicians in the U.S. House and Senate have voted in favor of the most radical expansion of abortion in American history, a bill deceptively named the Women’s Health Protection Act. If passed, this extreme bill would nullify existing pro-life state laws, prevent the passage of future state laws that protect the unborn, and force taxpayers to pay for abortions nationwide — up until birth. Going beyond Roe, it would eliminate parental-consent laws. We can’t afford to abandon the fight at the federal level now.”
New route
The Supreme Court’s decision has caused quite a shift in the pro-life movement, and the March for Life’s route through Washington, D.C., will change to reflect this. No longer will the march end at the steps of the Supreme Court, as there is no longer anything left to demand of the justices. Now, the route will lead the thousands of demonstrators to the steps of the Capitol building.
March for Life notes that state-level demonstrations should follow this example and also lead their marches to where state legislators might hear them best:
“We must tirelessly build a culture of life on Capitol Hill, and advocate for the advancement of federal pro-life policies. But it doesn’t end there: we must also march in our state capitols, urging our state legislators to pass life-saving protections for the unborn.“
And today we celebrate...