The abortion rights movement lost one of its fiercest champions on Monday with the passing of Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood. Richards, who was 67, died after a battle with brain cancer, her family announced.
Over the course of her trailblazing career, Richards transformed Planned Parenthood into a fundraising juggernaut and political powerhouse, making support for abortion rights a virtually non-negotiable stance for Democratic politicians. She helmed the organization through countless efforts to strip its government funding and restrict access to abortion at the state level.
A Lifelong Activist
Born in Waco, Texas in 1957 to progressive activist parents, Richards was steeped in politics from a young age. Her mother, Ann Richards, would go on to become the legendary Democratic governor of Texas. Cecile followed in her footsteps, starting out as a labor organizer before founding the influential Texas Freedom Network to counter the religious right.
They were into politics like other couples were into bowling. Every movement that came through town, whether it was the farm workers, the labor movement, the women’s movement, they were into and so were all their friends.
Cecile Richards on her activist parents
Turning Point at Planned Parenthood
Richards took the reins of Planned Parenthood in 2006, marking a new era of political engagement for the healthcare provider. Two years later, in only its second presidential endorsement ever, the organization backed Barack Obama. It was a sign of things to come, as Richards made support for abortion rights a litmus test for Democrats.
Despite unrelenting attacks from Republicans and anti-abortion activists, including the release of misleading secret recordings in 2015 that led to a high-profile congressional hearing, Richards grew Planned Parenthood’s fundraising and organizing capacity substantially. There is now only one anti-abortion Democrat left in Congress.
A Formidable Force
After stepping down from Planned Parenthood in 2018, Richards remained a prominent voice for women’s health and reproductive rights. She founded Supermajority to promote women’s leadership, and launched new initiatives to provide abortion information and share stories after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
President Biden awarded Richards the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in 2024. “One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a lifelong organizer is that there are no permanent wins and no permanent losses,” she wrote after receiving the award. “We have to fight for every inch of progress.”
Tributes Pour In
News of Richards’ death prompted an outpouring of tributes from abortion rights advocates and Democratic leaders. Many hailed her as a hero who never backed down from a fight, even in the face of violent opposition and personal attacks.
- Nancy Pelosi: “Cecile was a warrior for women, a courageous and visionary leader who always put families and social justice first.”
- Gloria Steinem: “She lent her voice, her spirit, her lifeblood to the cause of women’s equality. In every room, she was the one we turned to for direction and inspiration.”
Richards is survived by her husband, Kirk Adams, their three children, and four grandchildren. In their statement, the family encouraged those mourning Richards to keep in mind something she frequently said in the final months of her life: “The only acceptable answer to ‘What did you do?’ is: ‘Everything we could.'”
