48th Arkansas March for Life draws faithful to State Capitol amid calls for vigilance post‑Roe

By Arkansas Right to Life
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Braving freezing temperatures, nearly a thousand Arkansans gathered Sunday, Jan. 18, at the Arkansas State Capitol for the 48th annual March for Life, an event that blended celebration of post‑Roe legal victories with warnings that the fight against abortion is far from over. The march, organized by Arkansas Right to Life, marked the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and highlighted the new challenges posed by abortion pills and interstate access to medication abortion.

Dr. Sharai Amaya, an obstetrician‑gynecologist and board president of Arkansas Right to Life, opened the program by thanking attendees for “standing for life” and emphasizing the organization’s decades‑long advocacy. Amaya warned that despite Arkansas’ near‑total abortion ban following the 2022 Dobbs decision, “the threat of abortion is still crouching at our door,” citing the illegal trafficking of abortion pills into the state. Her remarks echoed concerns raised by state officials and pro‑life groups in recent months, who note that chemical abortion has become the primary method of terminating pregnancies nationwide.

The event’s keynote speaker, Houston mother Catherine Presley Herring, delivered an emotional account as a series of forced abortion attempts by poisoning by her former husband in 2022. Herring said she unknowingly ingested abortion-inducing drugs on multiple occasions before discovering the tampering and seeking emergency medical care. Her testimony, which has been widely covered in national media, has fueled successful legislative efforts in Arkansas and Louisiana to strengthen protections against coerced abortion.

Herring credited a pregnancy hotline with guiding her through an emergency abortion pill reversal protocol and said her daughter survived because she acted quickly. She told the crowd that her case resulted in only a 180‑day jail sentence for her former husband, calling it “a complete failure of the justice system.” Her advocacy, she said, has since expanded to federal policy discussions in Washington, D.C.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who has positioned Arkansas as a national leader in post‑Roe abortion restrictions, praised Herring’s “powerful and incredible testimony” and urged attendees not to become complacent. Sanders noted that Arkansas has been ranked the “number one most pro‑life state” for six consecutive years, a designation promoted by national pro‑life organizations. But she stressed that the rise of mail‑order abortion pills represents a new frontier in the debate.

Attorney General Tim Griffin echoed that message, telling the crowd his office has issued cease‑and‑desist orders to out‑of‑state groups accused of shipping abortion medication into Arkansas. Griffin said several investigations remain active and vowed continued enforcement of state law.

The march also served as a moment of transition for Arkansas Right to Life. The organization introduced its new executive director, Amber Singleton, who succeeds longtime leader Rose Mimms. Singleton, a former educator and mother of nine, thanked supporters and emphasized the importance of legislative partnerships in maintaining Arkansas’ strict abortion laws.

State lawmakers in attendance highlighted ongoing initiatives, including a planned “monument to the unborn” on Capitol grounds. Sen. Kim Hammer said the memorial would serve as a permanent reminder of the more than 250,000 abortions performed in Arkansas during the Roe era.

Sunday’s event drew a broad mix of families, church groups, elected officials, and advocacy organizations. FOX16 reported that thousands participated in the march along Capitol Avenue before gathering on the Capitol steps for speeches and prayer.

As the program concluded, speakers urged attendees to continue supporting pregnancy resource centers, foster care initiatives, and legislative efforts aimed at restricting abortion access. Pastor Kyler Smith of Immanuel Baptist Church closed the event in prayer, asking for “conviction and courage” among state leaders and continued protection for unborn children.

Watch YouTube videos about the 2026 Arkansas March for Life and other recent Marches below: