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{{Short description|American activist (1957–2025)}} {{Short description|American activist (1957–2025)}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder {{Infobox officeholder
| name = Cecile Richards | name = Cecile Richards
| image = Cecile Richards (30015306081) (cropped).jpg | image = Cecile Richards (30015306081) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Richards in 2024 | caption = Richards in 2016
| office = President of ] | office = President of ]
| term_start = February 2006 | term_start = February 2006
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| birth_place = ], U.S. | birth_place = ], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|01|20|1957|7|15}} | death_date = {{death date and age|2025|01|20|1957|7|15}}
| death_place = New York City, U.S. | death_place = ], New York City, U.S.
| spouse = Kirk Adams | spouse = Kirk Adams
| children = 3 | children = 3
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| education = ] {{small|(])}} | education = ] {{small|(])}}
}} }}
'''Cecile Richards''' (July 15, 1957 – January 20, 2025) was an American activist who served as the president of the ] and president of the ] from 2006 to 2018. In 2010, Richards was elected to the ] board of trustees. In spring 2019, Richards co-founded Supermajority, a women's political action group. On Jan twentieth she was aborted. '''Cecile Richards''' (July 15, 1957 – January 20, 2025) was an American activist who served as the president of both the ] and its affiliated ] from 2006 to 2018. In 2010, Richards was elected to the ] board of trustees. In spring 2019, Richards co-founded Supermajority, a women's political action group.


==Early life== ==Early life==
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Richards' parents were immersed in political activism from her early years on. In January 1971, at the age of 13, she was named an honorary page to the 62nd Texas State Legislator. At the age of 16, she helped her mother campaign for ], the attorney who won '']'', in her bid for the Texas state legislature.<ref name="DFW">{{cite news|title=For Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who won Roe vs. Wade, celebrity — or notoriety — came early|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/news/2013/01/19/for-sarah-weddington-the-lawyer-who-won-roe-vs.-wade-celebrity--or-notoriety--came-early|last=Parks|first=Scott|work=] |date=January 19, 2013|access-date=February 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927144248/http://www.dallasnews.com/news/news/2013/01/19/for-sarah-weddington-the-lawyer-who-won-roe-vs.-wade-celebrity--or-notoriety--came-early |archive-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref> Richards' parents were immersed in political activism from her early years on. In January 1971, at the age of 13, she was named an honorary page to the 62nd Texas State Legislator. At the age of 16, she helped her mother campaign for ], the attorney who won '']'', in her bid for the Texas state legislature.<ref name="DFW">{{cite news|title=For Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who won Roe vs. Wade, celebrity — or notoriety — came early|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/news/2013/01/19/for-sarah-weddington-the-lawyer-who-won-roe-vs.-wade-celebrity--or-notoriety--came-early|last=Parks|first=Scott|work=] |date=January 19, 2013|access-date=February 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927144248/http://www.dallasnews.com/news/news/2013/01/19/for-sarah-weddington-the-lawyer-who-won-roe-vs.-wade-celebrity--or-notoriety--came-early |archive-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref>


After graduating college, Richards became a labor organizer for service workers across several states, running union campaigns for garment workers, nursing home workers, and janitors.<ref name="The New Yorker-2013" /> When she was 30, she moved back to Texas to help with her mother's campaign for ].<ref name="Galanes-2016">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/fashion/cecile-richards-barbara-bush-and-the-sisterhood-of-political-progeny.html|title=Cecile Richards, Barbara Bush, and the Sisterhood of Political Progeny|last=Galanes|first=Philip|date=June 18, 2016|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=August 15, 2016}}</ref> After graduating college, Richards became a labor organizer for service workers across several states, running union campaigns for garment workers, nursing home workers, and janitors.<ref name="The New Yorker-2013" /> When she was 30, she moved back to Texas to help with her mother's campaign for ].<ref name="Galanes-2016">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/fashion/cecile-richards-barbara-bush-and-the-sisterhood-of-political-progeny.html|title=Cecile Richards, Barbara Bush, and the Sisterhood of Political Progeny|last=Galanes|first=Philip|date=June 18, 2016|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=August 15, 2016}}</ref> She served on the board of the ], a global ] with the mission of advancing human welfare.<ref name="CR">{{Cite web|url=https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/our-leadership/cecile-richards|title=Cecile Richards: Planned Parenthood|website=]|access-date=August 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801014512/https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/our-leadership/cecile-richards|archive-date=August 1, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> She was one of the founders of ], a ] organization that aims to co-ordinate and promote progressive issues, and served as its president. Before that, she was deputy chief of staff to ], the Democratic leader in the ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Groups collecting contributions in hopes of defeating Bush|date=August 17, 2003|work=]|agency=Associated Press|page=11A}}</ref> She also worked at the ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Tax-cut ad campaign players: throwback to '94 governor race|last=Herman|first=Ken|date=April 7, 2001|work=]}}</ref> In 1996, she founded the ], a Texas organization formed to counter the ].<ref>{{cite book|last=Green|first=John|title=Prayers in the Precincts|publisher=Georgetown University Press|location=Washington|year=2000|isbn=0-87840-775-8|page=|url=https://archive.org/details/prayersinprecinc0000unse/page/53}}</ref> She also served on the board of advisors of ], an organization founded by former ] ] that aims to end ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.letamericavote.org/boardofadvisors/|title=Advisors|publisher=Let America Vote|access-date=May 1, 2018}}</ref>
She served on the board of the ], a global ] with the mission of advancing human welfare.<ref name="CR">{{Cite web|url=https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/our-leadership/cecile-richards|title=Cecile Richards: Planned Parenthood|website=]|access-date=August 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801014512/https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/our-leadership/cecile-richards|archive-date=August 1, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> She was one of the founders of ], a ] organization that aims to co-ordinate and promote progressive issues, and served as its president. Before that, she was deputy chief of staff to ], the Democratic leader in the ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Groups collecting contributions in hopes of defeating Bush|date=August 17, 2003|work=]|agency=Associated Press|page=11A}}</ref> She also worked at the ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Tax-cut ad campaign players: throwback to '94 governor race|last=Herman|first=Ken|date=April 7, 2001|work=]}}</ref> In 1996, she founded the ], a Texas organization formed to counter the ].<ref>{{cite book|last=Green|first=John|title=Prayers in the Precincts|publisher=Georgetown University Press|location=Washington|year=2000|isbn=0-87840-775-8|page=|url=https://archive.org/details/prayersinprecinc0000unse/page/53}}</ref> She also served on the board of advisors of ], an organization founded by former ] ] that aims to end ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.letamericavote.org/boardofadvisors/|title=Advisors|publisher=Let America Vote|access-date=May 1, 2018}}</ref>


Richards stepped down as president of Planned Parenthood in 2018,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecut.com/2018/04/cecile-richards-planned-parenthood-president-last-day.html|title=The Internet Celebrates, Bids Farewell to Planned Parenthood President|first=Amanda|last=Arnold|date=April 30, 2018|website=The Cut}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Mangan |first=Dan |date=January 24, 2018 |title=Planned Parenthood chief Cecile Richards will step down from abortion rights, contraception group |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/24/planned-parenthood-chief-cecile-richards-will-step-down-from-post.html |publisher= CNBC|location=Englewood Cliffs, NJ |access-date=January 25, 2018 }}</ref> and was succeeded by ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-hs-leana-wen-new-job-20180912-story.html|title=Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen to serve as new head of Planned Parenthood|first=Andrea K.|last=McDaniels|website=baltimoresun.com|date=September 12, 2018 }}</ref> In April 2019, Richards co-founded a new political action group, Supermajority, to educate, and train, women to further women's political agenda for the 2020 elections.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/cecile-richards-is-leading-a-new-political-action-group-with-alicia-garza-and-ai-jen-poo/ar-AAAHMly|title=Cecile Richards Is Leading a New Political Action Group with Alicia Garza and Ai-jen Poo|last=Minutaglio|first=Rose|date=April 29, 2019|website=]|access-date=May 9, 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509235340/https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/cecile-richards-is-leading-a-new-political-action-group-with-alicia-garza-and-ai-jen-poo/ar-AAAHMly |archive-date=May 9, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Democracy Now!|title=Cecile Richards launches new political organization ahead of 2020 election|date=May 9, 2019|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vte_W0KhD0M |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/Vte_W0KhD0M |archive-date=December 19, 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=May 10, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Richards became the president of Planned Parenthood in 2006,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Green |first=Penelope |last2=Tumin |first2=Remy |date=2025-01-20 |title=Cecile Richards, Former Planned Parenthood President, Dies at 67 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/us/cecile-richards-dead-planned-parenthood.html |access-date=2025-01-21 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |quote=Richards was the president of Planned Parenthood from 2006 to 2018, overseeing the country’s largest provider of reproductive health care and sex education…}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Klibanoff |first=Eleanor |date=2025-01-20 |title=Longtime Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards dies after battle with brain cancer |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/20/cecile-richards-planned-parenthood-dies-brain-cancer/ |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=The Texas Tribune |language=en |quote=Richards went on to work for then-Democratic whip Nancy Pelosi and founded America Votes, a coalition of progressive grassroots organizations that register, educate and turn out voters. That’s where she was working when she got the call to interview to run Planned Parenthood in 2006… Over the course of 12 years, Richards helped transform Planned Parenthood into one of the most popular political institutions in the nation, growing the base of donors and volunteers from three million to 11 million. She raised more money than at any other point in the organization’s history, and reinvigorated the Planned Parenthood Action Fund…}}</ref> reinvigorated the group, growing the base of donors and volunteers for more than a decade. Richards stepped down in 2018,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecut.com/2018/04/cecile-richards-planned-parenthood-president-last-day.html|title=The Internet Celebrates, Bids Farewell to Planned Parenthood President|first=Amanda|last=Arnold|date=April 30, 2018|website=The Cut}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Mangan |first=Dan |date=January 24, 2018 |title=Planned Parenthood chief Cecile Richards will step down from abortion rights, contraception group |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/24/planned-parenthood-chief-cecile-richards-will-step-down-from-post.html |publisher= CNBC|location=Englewood Cliffs, NJ |access-date=January 25, 2018 }}</ref> and was succeeded by ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-hs-leana-wen-new-job-20180912-story.html|title=Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen to serve as new head of Planned Parenthood|first=Andrea K.|last=McDaniels|website=baltimoresun.com|date=September 12, 2018 }}</ref>


===Supermajority=== ===Supermajority===
In April 2019, Richards co-founded a new political action group, Supermajority.<ref name="Salam">{{cite news |last1=Salam |first1=Maya |title=A "Women's New Deal" |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/us/cecile-richards-supermajority.html |website=The New York Times |date=April 30, 2019 |access-date=December 15, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Menendez |first1=Alicia |title=Black Lives Matter's Alicia Garza Wants Supermajority To Be Your New Home For Activism |url=https://www.bustle.com/p/black-lives-matters-alicia-garza-wants-supermajority-to-be-your-new-home-for-activism-17231396 |website=Bustle |date=April 29, 2019 |access-date=December 15, 2019}}</ref> Founded with activists ] and ], the group hopes to "push politicians to adopt an agenda akin to what Richards called 'a women's new deal'", with issues like "voting rights, gun control, paid family leave, equal pay, and others" viewed as "soft issues", being seen as "issues that impact everyone".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Walsh |first1=Joan |title=The New Political Group Supermajority Aims to Mobilize Women Across Race, Class, and Generation |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/supermajority-cecile-richards-2020-presidential-election/ |website=] |date=May 2, 2019 |access-date=December 15, 2019}}</ref> In April 2019, Richards co-founded a new political action group, Supermajority, to educate and train women to further women's political agenda for the 2020 elections.<ref>{{Citation|last=Democracy Now!|title=Cecile Richards launches new political organization ahead of 2020 election|date=May 9, 2019|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vte_W0KhD0M |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/Vte_W0KhD0M |archive-date=December 19, 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=May 10, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/cecile-richards-is-leading-a-new-political-action-group-with-alicia-garza-and-ai-jen-poo/ar-AAAHMly|title=Cecile Richards Is Leading a New Political Action Group with Alicia Garza and Ai-jen Poo|last=Minutaglio|first=Rose|date=April 29, 2019|website=]|access-date=May 9, 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509235340/https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/cecile-richards-is-leading-a-new-political-action-group-with-alicia-garza-and-ai-jen-poo/ar-AAAHMly |archive-date=May 9, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Salam">{{cite news |last1=Salam |first1=Maya |title=A "Women's New Deal" |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/us/cecile-richards-supermajority.html |website=The New York Times |date=April 30, 2019 |access-date=December 15, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Menendez |first1=Alicia |title=Black Lives Matter's Alicia Garza Wants Supermajority To Be Your New Home For Activism |url=https://www.bustle.com/p/black-lives-matters-alicia-garza-wants-supermajority-to-be-your-new-home-for-activism-17231396 |website=Bustle |date=April 29, 2019 |access-date=December 15, 2019}}</ref> Founded with activists ] and ], the group hopes to "push politicians to adopt an agenda akin to what Richards called 'a women's new deal'", with issues like "voting rights, gun control, paid family leave, equal pay, and others" viewed as "soft issues", being seen as "issues that impact everyone".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Walsh |first1=Joan |title=The New Political Group Supermajority Aims to Mobilize Women Across Race, Class, and Generation |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/supermajority-cecile-richards-2020-presidential-election/ |website=] |date=May 2, 2019 |access-date=December 15, 2019}}</ref>


Since women composed the majority of the electorate in the 2018 mid-term election, Supermajority hopes to further this trend, educating women on "basic organizing skills like voter registration" and building a larger platform for female candidates in the ].<ref name="Salam"/> Richards said, " if 54% of the voters in this country are women, and if we are able to insert into this country the issues that women care about and elect a president who's committed to doing something about them".<ref>{{cite web |title=Cecile Richards Discusses Women's Political Action Group, Supermajority |url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4797306/cecile-richards-discusses-womens-political-action-group-supermajority |website=C-Span |access-date=December 15, 2019}}</ref> Since women composed the majority of the electorate in the 2018 mid-term election, Supermajority hopes to further this trend, educating women on "basic organizing skills like voter registration" and building a larger platform for female candidates in the ].<ref name="Salam"/> Richards said, " if 54% of the voters in this country are women, and if we are able to insert into this country the issues that women care about and elect a president who's committed to doing something about them".<ref>{{cite web |title=Cecile Richards Discusses Women's Political Action Group, Supermajority |url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4797306/cecile-richards-discusses-womens-political-action-group-supermajority |website=C-Span |access-date=December 15, 2019}}</ref>
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==Personal life and death== ==Personal life and death==
] on November 20, 2024, in the White House|300x300px]] ] on November 20, 2024, in the White House|300x300px]]
Richards was married to Kirk Adams, a labor organizer with the ], with whom she had three children: Lily, Hannah and Daniel.<ref name="CR"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a15060/cecile-richards-abortion-stigma |last=Richards |first=Cecile |title=Ending the Silence That Fuels Abortion Stigma |date=October 6, 2014 |access-date=August 17, 2016}}</ref> Their eldest, Lily Adams, served as press secretary for ], later as an advisor of communications for ]'s Democratic presidential campaign, and as communications director for ]'s presidential campaign.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Texas Tribune |title=Lily Adams helped her grandmother Ann Richards win Texas. Can she get Kamala Harris to the White House? |url=https://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/lily-adams-helped-her-grandmother-ann-richards-win-texas-can-she-get-kamala-harris-to-the-white-house/ |website=] |access-date=March 7, 2020 |date=September 18, 2019}}</ref> Richards and her husband lived in ].<ref name = NYTObit/><ref>{{cite news|title=Texans in Washington|work=]|publisher=Hearst Newspapers Partnership, L.P.|last=Martinez|first=Gebe|url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2006_4111584|date=May 7, 2006|access-date=April 6, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080925151018/http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2006_4111584|archive-date=September 25, 2008}}</ref> Richards was married to Kirk Adams, a labor organizer with the ], with whom she had three children: Lily, Hannah and Daniel.<ref name="CR"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a15060/cecile-richards-abortion-stigma |last=Richards |first=Cecile |title=Ending the Silence That Fuels Abortion Stigma |date=October 6, 2014 |access-date=August 17, 2016}}</ref> Their eldest, Lily Adams, served as press secretary for ], later as an advisor of communications for ]'s Democratic presidential campaign, and as communications director for ]'s presidential campaign.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Texas Tribune |title=Lily Adams helped her grandmother Ann Richards win Texas. Can she get Kamala Harris to the White House? |url=https://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/lily-adams-helped-her-grandmother-ann-richards-win-texas-can-she-get-kamala-harris-to-the-white-house/ |website=] |access-date=March 7, 2020 |date=September 18, 2019}}</ref>


Richards was diagnosed with ], an aggressive form of brain cancer, in mid-2023.<ref>{{cite news|title=Former Planned Parenthood Leader Cecile Richards Reveals Brain Cancer Diagnosis|work=|publisher=|last=|first=|url=https://fortune.com/2024/01/31/cecile-richards-abortion-rights-chatbot-charley-brain-cancer/|date=|access-date=|url-status=}}</ref> She died at home on January 20, 2025, at the age of 67.<ref name = NYTObit/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.npr.org/2025/01/20/nx-s1-5199767/cecile-richards-planned-parenthood-brain-cancer | title=Former head of Planned Parenthood Cecile Richards has died | work=NPR | last1=McCammon | first1=Sarah }}</ref> Richards was diagnosed with ], an aggressive form of brain cancer, in mid-2023.<ref>{{cite news|title=Former Planned Parenthood Leader Cecile Richards Reveals Brain Cancer Diagnosis|work=|publisher=|last=|first=|url=https://fortune.com/2024/01/31/cecile-richards-abortion-rights-chatbot-charley-brain-cancer/|date=|access-date=|url-status=}}</ref> She died at home in ], New York, on January 20, 2025, at the age of 67.<ref name = NYTObit/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.npr.org/2025/01/20/nx-s1-5199767/cecile-richards-planned-parenthood-brain-cancer | title=Former head of Planned Parenthood Cecile Richards has died | work=NPR | last1=McCammon | first1=Sarah }}</ref>


==Awards and honors== ==Awards and honors==

Latest revision as of 04:02, 22 January 2025

American activist (1957–2025)

Cecile Richards
Richards in 2016
President of Planned Parenthood
In office
February 2006 – April 2018
Preceded byGloria Feldt
Succeeded byLeana Wen
Personal details
Born(1957-07-15)July 15, 1957
Waco, Texas, U.S.
DiedJanuary 20, 2025(2025-01-20) (aged 67)
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
SpouseKirk Adams
Children3
Parent
EducationBrown University (BA)

Cecile Richards (July 15, 1957 – January 20, 2025) was an American activist who served as the president of both the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliated Planned Parenthood Action Fund from 2006 to 2018. In 2010, Richards was elected to the Ford Foundation board of trustees. In spring 2019, Richards co-founded Supermajority, a women's political action group.

Early life

Richards was born in Waco, Texas, on July 15, 1957, the daughter of Ann Richards (née Willis), an American politician and activist who served as governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995. Her father, David Richards, practiced law, and built a practice dealing with civil-rights plaintiffs, newspapers, and labor unions. He also won several landmark cases, including a voting-rights lawsuit that went to the Supreme Court. Cecile Richards was raised in Dallas and Austin, Texas. She initially went to public school, but, in ninth grade, she was disciplined for protesting the Vietnam War, after she wore a black armband. She then attended the progressive St. Stephen's Episcopal School in Austin for the remainder of high school.

Richards graduated with a bachelor's degree in history from Brown University (1980).

Career

Richards' parents were immersed in political activism from her early years on. In January 1971, at the age of 13, she was named an honorary page to the 62nd Texas State Legislator. At the age of 16, she helped her mother campaign for Sarah Weddington, the attorney who won Roe v. Wade, in her bid for the Texas state legislature.

After graduating college, Richards became a labor organizer for service workers across several states, running union campaigns for garment workers, nursing home workers, and janitors. When she was 30, she moved back to Texas to help with her mother's campaign for governor. She served on the board of the Ford Foundation, a global private foundation with the mission of advancing human welfare. She was one of the founders of America Votes, a 501(c)4 organization that aims to co-ordinate and promote progressive issues, and served as its president. Before that, she was deputy chief of staff to Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the U.S. House of Representatives. She also worked at the Turner Foundation. In 1996, she founded the Texas Freedom Network, a Texas organization formed to counter the Christian right. She also served on the board of advisors of Let America Vote, an organization founded by former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander that aims to end voter suppression.

Richards became the president of Planned Parenthood in 2006, reinvigorated the group, growing the base of donors and volunteers for more than a decade. Richards stepped down in 2018, and was succeeded by Leana Wen.

Supermajority

In April 2019, Richards co-founded a new political action group, Supermajority, to educate and train women to further women's political agenda for the 2020 elections. Founded with activists Alicia Garza and Ai-jen Poo, the group hopes to "push politicians to adopt an agenda akin to what Richards called 'a women's new deal'", with issues like "voting rights, gun control, paid family leave, equal pay, and others" viewed as "soft issues", being seen as "issues that impact everyone".

Since women composed the majority of the electorate in the 2018 mid-term election, Supermajority hopes to further this trend, educating women on "basic organizing skills like voter registration" and building a larger platform for female candidates in the 2020 election. Richards said, " if 54% of the voters in this country are women, and if we are able to insert into this country the issues that women care about and elect a president who's committed to doing something about them".

Writing

She contributed the piece "Combating the Religious Right" to the 2003 anthology Sisterhood Is Forever: The Women's Anthology for a New Millennium, edited by Robin Morgan.

In 2018, Richards published her memoir, Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead. The memoir discusses her upbringing and career.

Personal life and death

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden with Cecile Richards and her husband Kirk Adams after awarding Richards the Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 20, 2024, in the White House

Richards was married to Kirk Adams, a labor organizer with the Service Employees International Union, with whom she had three children: Lily, Hannah and Daniel. Their eldest, Lily Adams, served as press secretary for Tim Kaine, later as an advisor of communications for Hillary Clinton's Democratic presidential campaign, and as communications director for Kamala Harris's presidential campaign.

Richards was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in mid-2023. She died at home in Manhattan, New York, on January 20, 2025, at the age of 67.

Awards and honors

On November 20, 2024, Richards received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden at the White House.

References

  1. "Cecile Richards: Biography & Facts". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  2. Johnson, Darragh (March 25, 2006). "Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood's Choice Leader". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
  3. ^ "Daughters of Texas". The New Yorker. July 29, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  4. ^ Tumin, Remy; Green, Penelope (January 20, 2025). "Cecile Richards, Former Planned Parenthood President, Dies at 67". The New York Times. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  5. "Nelson Mandela To Receive Honorary Degree in Absentia, One of Eight Candidates" (Press release). Brown University. April 27, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
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  7. Galanes, Philip (June 18, 2016). "Cecile Richards, Barbara Bush, and the Sisterhood of Political Progeny". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  8. ^ "Cecile Richards: Planned Parenthood". Planned Parenthood. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  9. "Groups collecting contributions in hopes of defeating Bush". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Associated Press. August 17, 2003. p. 11A.
  10. Herman, Ken (April 7, 2001). "Tax-cut ad campaign players: throwback to '94 governor race". Austin American-Statesman.
  11. Green, John (2000). Prayers in the Precincts. Washington: Georgetown University Press. p. 53. ISBN 0-87840-775-8.
  12. "Advisors". Let America Vote. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  13. Green, Penelope; Tumin, Remy (January 20, 2025). "Cecile Richards, Former Planned Parenthood President, Dies at 67". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 21, 2025. Richards was the president of Planned Parenthood from 2006 to 2018, overseeing the country's largest provider of reproductive health care and sex education…
  14. Klibanoff, Eleanor (January 20, 2025). "Longtime Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards dies after battle with brain cancer". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved January 21, 2025. Richards went on to work for then-Democratic whip Nancy Pelosi and founded America Votes, a coalition of progressive grassroots organizations that register, educate and turn out voters. That's where she was working when she got the call to interview to run Planned Parenthood in 2006… Over the course of 12 years, Richards helped transform Planned Parenthood into one of the most popular political institutions in the nation, growing the base of donors and volunteers from three million to 11 million. She raised more money than at any other point in the organization's history, and reinvigorated the Planned Parenthood Action Fund…
  15. Arnold, Amanda (April 30, 2018). "The Internet Celebrates, Bids Farewell to Planned Parenthood President". The Cut.
  16. Mangan, Dan (January 24, 2018). "Planned Parenthood chief Cecile Richards will step down from abortion rights, contraception group". Englewood Cliffs, NJ: CNBC. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  17. McDaniels, Andrea K. (September 12, 2018). "Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen to serve as new head of Planned Parenthood". baltimoresun.com.
  18. Democracy Now! (May 9, 2019), Cecile Richards launches new political organization ahead of 2020 election, archived from the original on December 19, 2021, retrieved May 10, 2019
  19. Minutaglio, Rose (April 29, 2019). "Cecile Richards Is Leading a New Political Action Group with Alicia Garza and Ai-jen Poo". MSN. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  20. ^ Salam, Maya (April 30, 2019). "A "Women's New Deal"". The New York Times. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  21. Menendez, Alicia (April 29, 2019). "Black Lives Matter's Alicia Garza Wants Supermajority To Be Your New Home For Activism". Bustle. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  22. Walsh, Joan (May 2, 2019). "The New Political Group Supermajority Aims to Mobilize Women Across Race, Class, and Generation". The Nation. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  23. "Cecile Richards Discusses Women's Political Action Group, Supermajority". C-Span. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  24. "Library Resource Finder: Table of Contents for: Sisterhood is forever : the women's anth". Vufind.carli.illinois.edu. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  25. Richards, Cecile (April 3, 2018). Make Trouble. Gallery Books. ISBN 9781501187599.
  26. Trombetta, Sadie. "Cecile Richard's Story About Interviewing For Her Job At Planned Parenthood Is SO Relatable". Bustle. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  27. Richards, Cecile (October 6, 2014). "Ending the Silence That Fuels Abortion Stigma". Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  28. Texas Tribune (September 18, 2019). "Lily Adams helped her grandmother Ann Richards win Texas. Can she get Kamala Harris to the White House?". The Raw Story. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  29. "Former Planned Parenthood Leader Cecile Richards Reveals Brain Cancer Diagnosis".
  30. McCammon, Sarah. "Former head of Planned Parenthood Cecile Richards has died". NPR.
  31. ^ Weixel, Nathaniel (November 20, 2024). "Biden awards the Medal of Freedom to Cecile Richards, former Planned Parenthood president". The Hill. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  32. Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship
  33. Fluke, Sandra (April 18, 2012). "The 100 Most Influential People in the World: Cecile Richards". Time. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved April 24, 2013.

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