Faye
Wattleton was the youngest person and first African American to
head the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the nation's
oldest and largest nonprofit reproductive health organization.
Under her leadership between 1978 and 1992, Faye Wattleton helped
grow Planned Parenthood's outreach, creating a powerful grassroots
advocacy network that played a major role in shaping the national
debate over family planning policies and reproductive rights and
health. She went on to co-found and work with several other advocacy
organizations including: African-American Women for Reproductive
Freedom in 1990, the nonpartisan think-tank, the Center for the
Advancement of Women in 1995 and the Center for Gender Equality.
Faye Wattleton continues to be a leading voice for women's reproductive
rights and has received numerous awards and accolades, including
Humanist of the Year in 1986, the 1989 Ameican Public Health Association
Award of Excellence, the 1992 Jefferson Awards for Public Service,
and the 2004 Fries Prize for improving public health.
