A new film and accompanying book delve into the controversial history of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, her ties to the eugenics movement, and the lasting impact of her views on modern society.
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct. 18, 2024 — The White Rose Resistance, a rapidly growing pro-life organization, has announced the nationwide release of “The 1916 Project,” a documentary by founder Seth Gruber. The film examines the life and legacy of Margaret Sanger, exploring her connections to the eugenics movement, racism, and the sexual revolution. It will be available for free streaming on X from October 22 through November 13.
The documentary, produced by The White Rose Resistance and directed and co-written by David Coonradt, draws on Sanger’s personal writings, including journal entries and letters, which reveal the origins and agenda of her first illegal birth control clinic in Brooklyn, New York in 1916. It also includes interviews with historians and experts from around the globe, exploring how Sanger’s radical views on birth control and “sterilizing the unfit” have shaped today’s progressive cultural movements.
“The 1916 Project is more than a documentary—it’s a call to action for the Church and for anyone who values human life,” said Gruber. “Sanger’s work was the pivot point for Western civilization to arrive at the chaos we’re seeing today. If we want to understand the origins of third-trimester abortions, euthanasia, radical sex education, Critical Race Theory, and the broader cultural turmoil, this film connects every dot back to 1916.”
The film—featuring prominent conservative figures such as Eric Metaxas and pastors Jack Hibbs and John Amunchukwu—has garnered significant attention, with screenings completed or scheduled in over 600 churches across the United States.
Bestselling author, evangelist and pro-life advocate Nick Vujicic, who has spoken on nearly 4,000 stages worldwide, believes The 1916 Project offers insights into the cultural landscape of America. He, along with Metaxas, sees it as a crucial piece of understanding how America has reached its current state.
“I meet believers all around the world who want to know what has happened to America,” he said. “And with his work on this project, Seth has created the definitive guide to how we lost our culture. I’ve never read a more comprehensive, well-researched and spiritually illuminating book on abortion and our hyper-sexualized culture. If the church awakens and ends abortion in America, this film and book will be cited as a spark that lit a fire in the hearts of Christians.”
Gruber launched The White Rose Resistance following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, drawing inspiration from the legacy of Hans and Sophie Scholl, German students who bravely exposed the actions of the Third Reich as part of a campus organization called the White Rose Resistance. They were executed in 1943, just days before they were to meet with Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Sophie Scholl’s story inspired Seth to continue her vision.
“80 years after Hans and Sophie’s execution, our country finds itself facing the same issues and apathy,” Gruber said. “Understanding that abortion and the sexual revolution are a front for a much deeper spiritual war, our mission is to confront the silence of the American church and raise up a new generation of pro-life warriors, dedicated to truth and the sanctity of life. Every single person is created in God’s image and has a right to be born.”
The 1916 Project book, released on September 4, is available at all online retailers and can be found at
For more information about The White Rose Resistance, The 1916 Project and Seth Gruber’s work, visit
SOURCE The White Rose Resistance