Cecile Richards

Cecile Richards (born July 15, 1957, Waco, Texas, U.S.—died January 20, 2025, New York City, New York) was an American activist and administrator who was president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (2006–18).

Richards grew up in a liberal family; her father, David, was a civil rights attorney, and her mother, Ann, was a homemaker who later became a politician. As a teenager, in 1972, Cecile and her mother worked on the successful state-assembly campaign of Democrat Sarah Weddington, who a year earlier had argued Roe v. Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court; the 1973 decision legalized abortion. After studying history (B.A., 1980) at Brown University, Richards became a labor organizer in various states, encouraging hotel workers, nursing-home employees, and others to join unions. During this time, Ann became an influential figure in Democratic politics, and in 1990 Cecile worked on her mother’s successful bid for the governorship of Texas; Ann served from 1991 to 1995.

Amid what she saw as the growing influence of conservative Christians in state politics, Richards founded (1995) the Texas Freedom Network to “counter the religious right.” In that position, she spoke out against school prayer, abstinence-only sex education, and the teaching of creationism alongside evolution, among other issues. In 2002 she began working for California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, serving as deputy chief of staff. Two years later Richards became the founding president of America Votes, which promoted progressive causes and encouraged voter participation.

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In 2006 Richards was named president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, a nonprofit organization that primarily provided health services for women, especially those pertaining to reproductive issues. As a provider of abortions, Planned Parenthood faced strong opposition, and Richards gained a high profile as she often found herself in the news, defending both the embattled organization and abortion rights. Notably, in 2012 she was at the forefront when the Susan G. Komen for the Cure announced that it would stop donating to Planned Parenthood for breast health services. Many saw the decision as politically motivated, and Richards led the campaign that resulted in Komen reinstating its grants. Three years later she testified before the U.S. House of Representatives following the release of videos that purported to show Planned Parenthood officials agreeing to illegally sell fetal tissue but that were later discredited. At the time, Republicans in Congress were threatening a government shutdown unless federal funding of the organization ended. Although the hearing was often contentious, Planned Parenthood ultimately continued to receive government money. In addition, Richards oversaw legal challenges to various state efforts to defund the organization or impose greater abortion restrictions.

In 2018 Richards stepped down as president of Planned Parenthood. That year she released the memoir Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead (written with Lauren Peterson). In 2019 Richards cofounded Supermajority, a women’s organization that encouraged political activism. In 2024 she announced she was battling glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor. Pres. Joe Biden awarded Richards the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a private White House ceremony in November 2024 citing her work “to lift up the dignity of workers, defend and advance women’s reproductive rights and equality, and mobilize Americans to exercise their power to vote.”