Obituary
The daughter of former Texas governor Ann Richards and attorney David Richards, Cecile Richards grew up surrounded by people who believed politics could be a force for good. She watched as her parents fought for voting rights, women’s rights, labor unions, and more. As a teenager, she followed in their footsteps, getting in trouble at school for protesting the Vietnam War when she was in the ninth grade. Civic advocacy would remain the focus of her life for the next 50 years.
After earning a degree from Brown University, Richards became a labor organizer for union garment workers, nursing home employees, and others. She later served on the board of the Ford Foundation, was co-founder of America Votes, and in 1996 formed the Texas Freedom Network, an organization designed to help protect civil liberties and support public schools.
Richards is most widely remembered for the 12 years she spent as president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The organization provides reproductive education and healthcare and advocates for reproductive rights. In 2012, Time magazine called Richards one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in recognition of her work.
Richards stepped down in 2018, but she did not cease her activism. She formed Supermajority the following year, an organization devoted to bringing more women into politics.
Her 2018 memoir, “Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead,” chronicles her life and philosophy. In 2024, Richards was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden.
Rest in Power!
CPW
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