The debate over the legality of abortion continues across the nation as the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children approaches. 

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has designated Jan. 22 as the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, coming one day after the national March for Life.

“All are invited to the annual Archdiocesan Respect Life Mass to observe the National Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children," The Archdiocese of Milwaukee said in a post to its official Facebook account on Jan. 17. "Celebrated by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki, let’s come together and pray in penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life – from conception to natural death. The 9 a.m. Mass will be held at St John The Evangelist Catholic Church, 8500 W. Cold Spring Rd., in Greenfield.”

The national March for Life will be held Jan. 21 in Washington, D.C. The first March for Life was organized by Nellie Gray in January 1974, the year after the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade court decision. 

Gray called for March for Life events to be held each year until Roe v. Wade is reversed.

Each year, more than 100,000 participants go to the march, with many of them being young people studying in high school and college. Despite these efforts, abortion continues unabated, with more African-American babies being aborted than born in New York City every year.

Planned Parenthood was started by Margaret Sanger, a eugenicist who wanted to improve society by promoting abortion. In recent years, her support of selective breeding and abortion among black women has generated controversy, according to a report from USA Today. 

In its early days, Planned Parenthood frequently opened locations in minority-dominated neighborhoods. Partially as a result of this policy, the abortion rate now is five times higher among black women than white women.