Chris Charbonneau, the CEO of a Seattle-based Planned Parenthood affiliate spread across six states, has been fired following accusations of racism, after working for the abortion giant for almost 40 years.
According to the Seattle Times, a donor for Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky used a racist term for Black people, which Charbonneau then repeated while speaking to another staffer. Charbonneau allegedly did not correct the donor, board members Jeff Sprung and Colleen Foster said.
Two staff members also quit, allegedly due to Charbonneau’s behavior. “I cannot in good conscience continue to be part of an organization that fails to seriously respond to this degree of racism,” Erika Croxton, then the vice president of external affairs, wrote in a resignation letter. Chief Learning Officer Anna Kashner also resigned, saying Charbonneau’s behavior “is inexcusable and unforgivable.”
According to Charbonneau, however, she was shocked and horrified at what the donor said. In her version of the story, she and a Planned Parenthood “major gifts officer” were thanking the donor and began discussing pro-life laws in Texas. The donor allegedly said, “They’re trying to make women the new N-word,” which Charbonneau then repeated several days later in a conversation with Croxton. Charbonneau claimed she simply wanted to make sure it was clear what the donor said, though she now says she knows she shouldn’t have repeated the word.
“If I had to do it over again, I would not have used that actual term,” she told KNKX Public Radio. “I was astonished at the sort of cavalier disregard with which my 40-year commitment was being treated.”
However, this is not the first time a Planned Parenthood representative has failed to respond appropriately to racist remarks from donors. In 2015, a Live Action undercover investigation revealed a phone call between a Planned Parenthood rep and a potential donor, who made it clear that he wished to donate to ensure that there were fewer Black babies being born. The staffer responded with awkward laughter, calling his sentiment “understandable.” Other staffers in the investigation stated that for whatever the reason, they would accept the donor’s money:
Today, Black women account for approximately 38% of all abortions, despite the fact that the Black community makes up just 12% of the population.
Regardless of how Charbonneau may feel about her time with Planned Parenthood, what is indisputable is the endemic nature of racism within the abortion business. An internal audit reviewed by Buzzfeed News found that Black employees were routinely treated worse than white employees, were micromanaged and treated like children, and made to work longer hours with less leeway.
Hundreds of employees had previously said there was systemic racism and a culture of white supremacy at Planned Parenthood, which includes being founded by eugenicist Margaret Sanger (openly revered by the organization until recently), who put Ku Klux Klan leaders on the board. Numerous affiliates have likewise admitted to both past and present racism.
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