Planned Parenthood Community Read Discussion: Life's Work

Join Planned Parenthood and Bookshop Santa Cruz for a discussion of our community-wide read, Life’s Work: A Moral Argument for Choice by Dr. Willie Parker. Pick up a copy of the book and join us for a discussion moderated by the Reverend Deborah Johnson of Inner Light Ministries and Jessica Dieseldorff of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte.
Dr. Willie Parker, raised as a fundamentalist Christian in the Deep South, became an obstetrician who left abortion procedures to his colleagues. When the hospital he served in wanted to start limiting the procedure, he delved deep into his religious and moral beliefs to ultimately fight for the right for women to get the help they need. Soon he became an ardent abortion-rights supporter and practitioner, one of the few doctors to provide such services to women in Mississippi and Alabama. He uses this book to discuss his belief in the moral underpinning of the right to choice.
Gloria Steinem says, “I wish everyone in America would read this book.” Join us and discuss.
Reverend Deborah Johnson is the founding minister and president of Inner Light Ministries, an Omnifaith outreach ministry dedicated to teaching the practical application of Universal Spiritual Principles to all of life’s circumstances. A life-long social justice activist, Rev. Johnson has been featured in numerous books, magazines, radio, and television programs.
Jessica Dieseldorff is the Associate Director of Advanced Practice Clinicians and Training at Planned Parenthood and has been in clinical practice as a nurse practitioner for the past 19 years. She started her career with Planned Parenthood as a community educator when she lived in Nashville, TN.
This event is part of our Words to Act On partnership with Planned Parenthood, June-August.