Set for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday with Dr. King's Niece as Featured Speaker

"Our mothers must choose life. Without life, no other rights exist." -- Alveda King, Walk for Life West Coast 2008 Speaker

Contact: Karen Hodel, 415-287-4101, media@walkforlifewc.com

SAN FRANCISCO, December 11 /Christian Newswire/ -- The niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will lead an estimated 20,000 people along San Francisco's waterfront proclaiming "Abortion Hurts Women" in the Fourth Annual Walk for Life West Coast, Saturday, January 19, 2008.

Alveda King, Black Genocide founder Dr. Clenard Childress Jr., and saline abortion survivor Gianna Jessen will speak at the Walk, which this year takes place on Dr. King's birthday. The Walk is held on the Saturday closest to the anniversary of the Supreme Court's January 22, 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. The Walk begins at Justin Herman Plaza at 11 a.m. and ends at Marina Green.

"If the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is to live, our babies must live. Our mothers must choose life," said Alveda King, a niece of Dr. King. Ms. King lost two children to abortion and is also mother to six living children. Her father was slain civil rights activist A.D. King, and their home in Birmingham, Alabama, was bombed during the civil rights struggles. Ms. King was jailed for her stand against segregation. "The greatest injustice we face is the denial of the right to life. Without life, no other rights exist."

"The Walk for Life West Coast in San Francisco continues to be a galvanizing event for people of conscience who seek social justice for all of our citizens, born and unborn," said Childress, who has spoken at the Walk each year since it began in 2005. Childress, a Baptist minister, is also North East regional director of the Life Education and Resource Network (LEARN).

One of the most compelling stories is that of Jessen. "I was aborted and I didn't die," said Jessen, who has cerebral palsy because of her 17-year-old biological mother's attempted abortion. "We need to get back to valuing human beings based on their intrinsic value rather than on whether or not they fit into our plans or whether or not they serve our purpose."

"Women are being hurt every day by the abortions that take their babies' lives," said Walk organizer Dolores Meehan. "We are here to reach out with compassion and support."

For the fourth year, a pregnancy resources and abortion recovery Info Fair will be held at the Walk's conclusion on Marina Green, in sight of the Golden Gate Bridge. Last year the Walk drew more than 20,000 participants, predominantly from the Bay Area, but with substantial groups from throughout California and the western states.