Cecile Richards Never Gave Up the Fight

glamour.com:

during her 12-year tenure as president, also helped arrange snacks and move chairs. And when the daughter of a local activist arrived, Richards opened her arms and the girl sprinted into them, wrapping her arms around her legs.Richards, who on Monday at age 67, was a powerful champion for reproductive justice, a bestselling author and public thinker.

She was one of the most powerful political figures in the US. But one of her greatest powers—one I got to witness over four days in New Orleans last year—was how she connected with people.

She would sit chatting with a group of strangers like they were old friends, frequently talking about her three kids and beloved toddler grandson, Teddy.

She and her husband, Kirk Adams, invited everyone involved in the storytelling project over to her house one night to eat cheese and drink wine.I only knew Richards briefly, but I will never forget her easy presence, her optimism, and her belief that the world can be better if we all work together.Back in June 2024, the beginning of the abortion storytelling project (now called ) she created with her longtime collaborator, Lauren Peterson and local abortion activist (who would be named a Glamour Woman of the Year in 2024.