Cecile Richards was a giant of our time and all time—a righteous troublemaker for good and for justice.

I knew her as many things—a revered leader and audacious activist, a respected member of the Ford Foundation’s Board of Trustees and beloved friend—but I first met her when I was a young man involved in Texas student politics and she a young organizer for workers’ rights and affordable housing, the image of her iconic mother, the inimitable Ann Richards. 

From that initial introduction, nearly a half century ago, I saw instantly what remained indelible for 67 years: Cecile’s brilliance, her kindness, her courage—the radical hope that inspired her life’s work.  She was her mother’s daughter—proudly so—and a beacon for fairness and freedom in her own right.

As President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Cecile stared down many of the most insidious forces in American life—and never blinked. She challenged us all to recognize the urgency and significance of women’s reproductive equality when the stakes were greatest.  Indeed, the stakes were the point.   

As a Ford Foundation trustee between 2010 and 2022, she lent her sagacity, savvy, and strength—her grace and gumption—to serving our mission and maximizing our impact in the world: To protecting democratic values and institutions, human dignity and rights, during an era when they faced unprecedented assault.

And even as Cecile endured personal hardship, she never faltered. This past year, while bravely battling glioblastoma, she continued her frontlines fight for voting rights and voter participation—and she brought to broad audiences the stories of women whose lives were upended by abortion bans, firm in her conviction that personal stories could foster empathy and drive change.  Only a few weeks ago, she accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor, for her lifetime of service to the idea of America—for her lifelong effort to fulfill America’s promise for all.

Today, as we grieve for Cecile, my heart is heavy and my thoughts are with her beloved husband Kirk; her three extraordinary children, Daniel, Hannah, and Lily; her grandson, Lily’s Teddy.

When they shared news of her passing, they invoked a question that she posed often on behalf of Teddy’s generation and all the generations to follow: “When there was so much at stake for our country, what did you do?”  Let us resolve to answer as Cecile did, forever undaunted, emboldened with love and hope: “Everything we can.”