Diamond and Silk, two popular conservative social media personalities, urged people at the sold-out Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation’s 40th anniversary banquet to forget about political correctness and not allow themselves to be silenced on abortion.

“If we can advocate for women’s rights, we can advocate for the rights of the unborn,” Diamond said. “They have a right to life too.”

Known for their candid and often humorous political commentary, Diamond and Silk spoke to an enthusiastic and energized audience of about 750 pro-life supporters at federation’s Celebrate Life banquet. The dinner was held at the Harrisburg Radisson Hotel in Camphill Oct. 15.

Attendees included 18 state legislators, Catholic clergy, Christian pastors, and Federation chapter members. The federation is the state’s largest pro-life advocacy organization and is affiliated with the National Right to Life organization.

Diamond and Silk, whose real names are Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, host The Viewers View on YouTube. They make guest appearances on Fox News shows, and star in the Diamond and Silk Chit Chat Live Tour.

The duo sold out the banquet, a big federation fundraiser, with dinner tickets costing $100 each. An overflow theater was set up in the hotel so that additional attendees could watch a live broadcast of the event at reduced ticket prices.

Federation executive director, Michael Ciccocioppo, served as master of ceremonies and board of directors president, Susan Rogacs, gave the opening address. Ciccocioppo presented Ernest Ohlhoff with the 2019 Pennsylvania Pro-Life Lifetime Achievement Award; the 2019 Pro-Life Leadership Award went to John and Ann Poole.

Diamond and Silk opened their presentation with kind words commending the federation for its 40 years of dedication to saving unborn babies from abortion.

Biological sisters from North Carolina, Diamond and Silk are plain spoken and very down-to-earth when they talk.

“People don’t know this about us, but we grew up in a Christian household,” said Diamond, who does most of the talking. “As a matter of fact, our parents are our pastors. They taught us, Thou shalt not kill. That’s what we were taught.”

“That’s right” Silk chimed in, supporting her sister throughout the presentation with frequent interjections of agreement and amusing uh-huhs and um-hums that are part of their shtick.

“But we now live in a society where people don’t value life anymore,” Diamond lamented. “We’re living in a society where people don’t care about life.”

Diamond talked about Planned Parenthood and said that 60 million abortions have taken place in the United States since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. She said the abortion industry’s targeting of black women has resulted in the abortion of 19 million unborn black babies.

“See the abortion industry has targeted and coerced women into partaking of abortion . . . All they (women) hear is somebody telling them, You can’t take care of that baby. You know you gonna struggle. And they coerce you into doing something that you will regret later in life. But this is the system...”

Diamond and Silk decried the legalization of late-term abortions.

“When the governor of Virginia started talking about infanticide and (I saw) how it was celebrated in New York, I was disgusted,” Diamond said. “...When it comes down to abortion and people celebrating killing life, it is very disturbing. Where is the compassion? Where is the empathy for life?”

Diamond and Silk highlighted the case of deceased abortionist, Dr. Ulrich Klopfer, whose family recently found the remains of 2,246 fetuses at his home in Illinois.

“Then there’s the doctor with the baby parts stored as if it’s candy just stored up,” Diamond said. “Where’s the outrage on that? There should be so much outrage in this country.”

Diamond and Silk voiced concern over a new law in California that requires public universities to provide medication abortions on 34 state campuses by 2023. A medication abortion occurs when pills are used to cause an abortion.

“Now look at our young people, being indoctrinated by some of these people in power,” Diamond said. “They’re showing them how to commit murder, and thinking nothin’ about it. . . They gonna have something called the abortion pill, we call it the kill pill.”

Diamond received a round of applause when she asked how students would learn about personal responsibility if they were given free medication abortions. Silk was applauded when she suggested that it would be better to give sick people free medication to live, rather than give students free pills for medication abortions.

“If we keep killing babies, where’s our next generation going to come from?” Diamond asked.

At the end of their presentation, both women urged people to vote pro-life candidates into office and to continue speaking out against abortion.

“You have to keep speaking up and speaking out,” Diamond said. “Let people know that when life wins, we all win.”