Awards granted by 'People of Life' recognize and celebrate the significant leadership and legacy of four pro-life advocates.

Valerie Washington, the executive director of the National Black Catholic Congress (NBCC), was one of the honorees at the "People of Life" awards. The prestigious awards, established by the USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities in 2007, recognise Catholics who have dedicated themselves to pro-life activities and promoting respect for the dignity of the human person.

Washington has led the NBCC for 25 years, a lay-driven organisation that organises national congresses to gather thousands of Black Catholics to celebrate faith, confront challenges, and uphold the rich faith traditions of Black Catholics. Under her leadership, the pastoral plan of action that came out of the NBCC's Congress XI lamented that more Black Catholics are not involved in pro-life advocacy. The 2012 Congress XI called on the national pro-life movement to adopt a more comprehensive, diverse, and complex approach to life issues to attract more African American Catholics.

The other honorees at the awards ceremony included Judy Haag, a long-term care nurse and a parishioner of Church of Our Lady in rural Manannah, Minnesota. Haag, known for her dedication to pro-life activities, has co-chaired her local 40 Days for Life campaign, which sponsors prayerful witness to the sanctity of life outside abortion clinics since its inception in 2007. Haag emphasised the importance of continuous prayer on sidewalks outside abortion clinics.

Another honoree was Rita Marker, who co-founded the International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force, later named the Patients Rights Council, in the mid-1980s. Marker, a member of Holy Family Parish in Steubenville, wrote the book "Deadly Compassion: The Death of Ann Humphry and the Truth About Euthanasia" after Ann Humphry, a co-founder of the Hemlock Society, contracted cancer and killed herself. The Markers, specifically Rita and Mike, were not previously mentioned as honorees for the "People of Life" awards.

The Patients Rights Council dissolved in 2024 and passed the baton to the New York-based Institute for Patients' Rights. Haag stated that there is something satanic happening at abortion clinics. The awards were part of the Diocesan Pro-Life Leadership Conference sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Kurt Jensen, who writes for the website from Washington, reported on the event. The NBCC's action plan urged the national pro-life movement to embrace a diverse and comprehensive approach to life issues to attract more African American Catholics to the cause. The 2012 National Black Catholic Congress XI, where this call was made, was itself the group that issued this call.

The "People of Life" awards have been given to 43 other men and women in addition to the four awardees mentioned. The honours serve as a testament to the commitment and dedication of Catholics in promoting and upholding the sanctity of life.

Awards granted by 'People of Life' recognize and celebrate the significant leadership and legacy of four pro-life advocates.