On Friday at 1:54 p.m., 78 Wheaton students adorned in matching navy “W” beanies and striped blue and orange scarves marched down Constitution Avenue from the Washington Monument to the Capitol building. They carried the March for Life banner ahead of the marchers to represent the national anti-abortion movement.
The National March for Life in Washington, D.C., attracts tens of thousands of people from around the country to the world’s largest annual human rights demonstration. Men, women and children of all ages and political affiliations carried signs and chanted anti-abortion choruses like “I believe that life will win” and “love them both.”
Some joined the crowd in the march while others supported along the sidewalks. Although some pro-abortion groups were present, Rachael Burtness ’24 noted less opposition than when she attended last year.
A student group always leads the march, and this year, Wheaton was given the responsibility. Voice for Life, the college’s anti-abortion club, was initially asked to lead in the summer of last year. In September, the club officially received a letter request from Jeanne Mancini, the president of March for Life, but the cabinet had concerns about garnering a significant number of marchers.
“We got 100 applicants, and that was a huge provision,” Hannah Lape, a senior political science major and Voice for Life co-president, said. “We just prayed for our students and funds, and the Lord provided so abundantly everyone with us.”
The day began with a pre-concert rally performed by the Christian band “Unspoken.” At the rally, Lape joined Governor Ron DeSantis, Bethany Hamilton, Vice President J. D. Vance and others in speaking about the importance of the movement both personally and professionally. Speakers shared stories of how their anti-abortion perspectives were shaped. All encouraged support for legislative moves against the medical procedure.
Lape was the only student speaker at the rally, where she spoke about the pro-life movement as one that should be a fight for human rights, not state rights. She also spoke on her hopes for people within the pro-abortion movement to better care for women by “admitting the legal danger of abortion drugs,” fighting against confusing political rhetoric for public gain and efforts to offer both the mother and the baby life-affirming care.
“We ask our nation to defend our constitutional right for life, not just for those who are healthy, wanted, convenient or respected, but for every child,” Lape said at the rally.
Jennie Bradley Lichter, the new president of March for Life starting in February, also spoke at the rally. In an interview, she explained why students have historically led the annual demonstration. “Young people are at the heart of the March for Life,” she said.
Lisa Burden, assistant professor of biochemistry, came to this year’s demonstration “to march with students and support them.” In her classes she covers the “sanctity of life,” but her experience as a mother of three has also contributed to her support of the anti-abortion stance.
Susanna Brink, a freshman history major, noted the significance of leading the march as a student and representing the college. Completing a research project on surrogacy and forms of artificial reproduction incited Brink’s involvement with the movement further.
“The March shows a generation that’s truly passionate about this, and a generation that sees this as an issue that needs more voices added to it,” Brink said.
