ATLANTA -- Angela Stanton-King felt hopeless.
She had recently given birth, didn’t have a job and had just spent 18 months in prison.
She had to restart her life with her four children. Homeless and going from shelter to shelter in 2007, while trying to find work, Stanton-King said that no one was willing to give her a chance.
In a moment of desperation, she said, she thought about taking her children’s lives and then her own.
Instead, she walked to a women and children’s crisis center in Atlanta. Crying, Stanton-King begged for help from the woman behind the front desk. That woman — Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King Jr. and a former state representative — gave her a job without hesitation.
Since then, Stanton-King says she’s dedicated nearly 20 years of her life to helping women in similar situations. Her activism includes work at different pregnancy centers and with anti-abortion groups.
She recently opened her own maternity home in Atlanta. Her mission for the house she’s named Auntie Angie’s: to provide a secure, supportive environment for pregnant, single women who are struggling financially, facing homelessness, or are in violent relationships.
Eventually, she said, four mothers-to-be will live in the house, and others who are trying to make ends meet can come there to get information on available resources.
Since her release from prison on charges stemming from her role in a car theft ring, Stanton-King’s own journey has been one filled with twists and turns and, at times, controversy.
She’s published several books, including one that resulted in a multi-million dollar lawsuit against her that was eventually thrown out by a judge. She was featured on the BET Network docuseries “From the Bottom Up.” She received a pardon from President Donald Trump, ran for political office, and appeared on the TV show Dr. Phil to debate her views on transgender rights.
Controversies aside, what Wyquita Jones, Auntie Angie’s first resident, sees in Stanton-King is a lifeline. ”I didn’t have no one to help me at times,” said Jones. Stanton-King “helped me with trying to get on my feet and move on and do better things for myself.”
There are only a handful of maternity homes officially registered as such with the Department of Human Resources, though organizations and churches sometimes offer help or residences to pregnant women who have agreed to carry to full term.
Troubling past leads to motivation
Sometimes, Stanton-King said, the worst circumstances can turn out beautiful. That’s how she remembers her first time giving birth at 15 years old in 1992.
Her father had recommended an abortion, while her mother spoke against it, she said. Stanton-King, who grew up in Buffalo, New York, went to live at a pregnancy home for teenagers at her mother’s urging. That experience, and the support system it provided, was foundational to Auntie Angie’s.
After leaving Buffalo, Stanton-King made her way to Atlanta in 1995 to live with other family members. Her firstborn remained in Buffalo, to be raised by Stanton-King’s father.
Three times after that, Stanton-King gave birth. But, in 1999, she chose to have an abortion. She said it’s a memory that still hurts.
In Atlanta, she ran into trouble with the law. She was pregnant with her last child in 2004 when a warrant was issued for her arrest for her involvement in the car theft ring.
She thought an abortion was the best option. She went to the clinic, paid for the procedure and was waiting to be called. But something just didn’t feel right; she couldn’t have a second abortion, she said. She ended up walking out.
After her conviction on federal conspiracy charges, she was imprisoned. She said she gave birth chained to a bed and surrounded by law enforcement officers. Twenty-four hours later, her daughter was taken from her and given to her mother.
When she was released from prison, a 28-year-old Stanton-King came home. But nothing was like it was before. Her mother and grandmother, who had been taking care of her children with the help of other family members, had both died.
With only $25 and a bus ticket, Stanton-King and the four children she had custody of went to the nearest shelter. The 45-day limit wasn’t enough time for her to find work or a place to live.
“At the time, I was a convicted felon. So I couldn’t get any housing assistance. Nobody wanted to give me a job because I was considered to be a liability,” she said.
But Alveda King took a chance on her. Founder of Alveda King Ministries, King said she didn’t think twice about giving Stanton-King a job helping young women at her ministry.
With the help of King, Stanton-King published her first book “Life Beyond These Walls” and went on to open the Stanton Publishing House. King said Stanton-King’s ability to keep pushing past obstacles and make a name for herself revealed her capability to help others. Along the way, the now successful author and entrepreneur married Aaron King, who is not related to Alveda.
“Working with Angela throughout the years, I said, ‘Angela, we can serve more; we can do more,’” King said. “So Angie has given the community and the world Auntie Angie’s house.”
A dream turned into reality
After being an anti-abortion activist for so many years, Stanton-King said she realized there weren’t enough resources for expectant mothers. That’s where the idea for Auntie Angie’s house began.
“I realized when they overturned Roe v. Wade that there was a need to do much more than talking,” she said. “I understood how mothers felt without having any help. I understood that moment of desperation, feeling like not only did you want to give up, but you wanted to give up on your kids too, because you didn’t have the help with the assistance that you needed.”
She envisions Auntie Angie’s house as a refuge. Residents must be above 18, pregnant, not married, and they cannot share the address of the home to others. The residents won’t be under the care of a staff member for all hours of the day, but cameras and other security measures are in place. That’s because some of the women may be involved in volatile domestic situations.
Services include basic resources such as diapers, food and clothing, as well as mental health counseling, job training and housing for up to two years. The nonprofit is funded by donors from around the world.
The maternity home, which sits in south Atlanta, is Stanton-King’s second attempt at putting it all together. A December fire destroyed the original location along Irwin Street.
Jones moved into the home a few days before the grand opening. She didn’t find out she was pregnant until her third trimester.
“I was seven and a half months in. I was shocked, did not know. I wasn’t expecting, wasn’t ready, wasn’t prepared,” Jones said while holding her newborn daughter Royal.
Jones said Auntie Angie’s has provided her with a home, food and mental health services. Stanton-King said she wants the maternity home to be another option for single mothers.
“I just want to take my story and my experience and just show women there are other options out there,” Stanton-King said. “I’m not here to make anybody do anything. But, if you decide that you do want to choose life, then (Auntie Angie’s is) a resource here to help you and your baby.”
How it all began
Stanton-King likes to say that she has more than 70 godchildren because of the help she has provided to women across the nation. Throughout the years, she volunteered at pregnancy resource centers, including Care Net in Atlanta and the Alive Center in Albany. Through outreach at the facilities and social media, Stanton-King has been able to support women who make the decision to keep their babies.
Heather Cooper’s son recently turned 1. But, just over a year ago, she was struggling to find a job. She had two other children to care for. She was eventually led to her cousin, Stanton-King.
“I had my days when I was crying and overwhelmed,” Cooper said. “I knew there would be a way out and she was my way out.”
Cooper said that, while she searched for a job, she stayed at Stanton-King’s home. Though her situation did not end in homelessness, Cooper said she worries about low-income women who lose their homes due to unemployment during pregnancy.
Others — including Angelina Holmes — offer similar praise for Stanton-King and her mission.
Holmes, from Greenville, North Carolina, said she was close to taking her own life when she came across a social media post from Stanton-King. Already a mother of two, Holmes said she was pregnant again and mentally exhausted. She said she was in no position to have another child.
Then, she came across a pro-life Instagram post by Stanton-King. “The post was for me,” Holmes said.
In that moment, Holmes realized that her “unborn child deserved to come into this world” and that her kids still needed her.
Holmes, 36, reached out to Stanton-King, who immediately responded and asked Holmes what type of support she needed. By the time Savannah was born on March 1, Holmes had gathered all the supplies she needed with Stanton-King’s help.
“Some people do things for business purposes, and some people do things to change lives,” Holmes said. “What Angela is doing, and her organization and the people who help, they are literally changing lives.
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