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| This is a map of the states that allowed sterilizations in the 1930s |
For
centuries, scientists have been obsessed with the idea of eugenics. Eugenics,
is the “the study of or belief in the possibility of improving the qualities of
the human species or a human population, especially by such means as
discouraging reproduction by persons having genetic defects or presumed to have
inheritable undesirable traits (negative
eugenics) or encouraging reproduction by persons presumed to have
inheritable desirable traits (positive
eugenics)”(Dictionary.com). The man who coined the term in 1883 was Francis
Galton, a half-cousin of Charles Darwin’s who was inspired by his cousin’s work
to explore evolution. Galton thought that desirable traits were hereditary based
on biological studies being done at that time and he was not the only person on
board with promoting the evolution of a superior human race.
Many new programs were implemented in order to keep
those who were deemed undesirable to procreate and contaminate the general
public with more criminals, poor and people with mental disabilities. Heinous
crimes against people with mental illness and physical disabilities were
committed. Planned parenthood, forced sterilizations were implemented in 31
states and abortions were promoted. Many people who were in psychiatric
facilities were sterilized unknowingly along with many poor people like Virginia Brooks.
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| Virginia Brooks |
Virginia Brooks was 14 years old when she was taken by a social
worker with a few other girls to a North Carolina hospital under the false
pretenses that she needed to get her appendix removed. After the surgery, it
was revealed to her that she had been sterilized against her will because she
was an orphaned teenager. Virginia was one of the estimated 7,600 men and women
were targeted by the Eugenics Board of North Carolina from 1933 to 1977. The
Eugenics Board of North Carolina targeted minorities and poor young woman due
to their low income and education like Virginia. Today, 177
living victims have been verified, according
to the North Carolina Justice for Sterilization Victims Foundation (Huffington
Post). In July of 2013, it was announced that a passing of $10 million was to go to the victims by lawmakers,
money that will be distributed equally in one-time payments to victims. The final amount paid to each individual will
depend on how many other victims decide to come forward (Huffington Post).
What do
you think about North Carolina’s reparations to those who were unknowingly
sterilized? Many forced sterilizations were also committed/implemented overseas
in Africa and other places around the world. Do you think that other “third
world” victims should also be paid for being unknowingly sterilized?
-Meagan Davis
I've heard of this kind of systematic sterilization and overall eugenics of minorities in regards to many Native American people, which was occurring all the way up to the 1990s. I've also heard of U.S. female prisoners being sterilized without their knowledge or consent while in prison, up to present day. To be frank, the few reparations North Carolina is offering aren't enough- systematically taking away one's bodily autonomy should have far more dire consequences than a few million dollars. Victims of forced sterilization should get a public apology, as well as heavy monetary reparations and some sort of help from the foster system to adopt children, if victims want to start families of their own. Systematically taking away one's ability to have biological children shows a clear violation of government's or nation's right to make decisions for the people under or within that nation- if a government can take away your body parts, I feel like it's making a statement of possessive ownership upon minorities or the underprivileged. (Since eugenics specifically target minorities or those without strong advocates, like Ms. Brooks, I'm specifically speaking about a group of people, rather than both dominant and minority groups.) Overall, eugenics is horrendous, for pretty clear reasons, and we aren't doing enough to stop that practice in the modern world.
ReplyDeleteWhy is reproduction the fear for post colonial societies and the hope of colonial societies? After native populations have been exploited, as in the united states, we want to restrict people rights through 'scientific' reasoning by limiting procreation, but we have systemically exploited the fruits of their loins for centuries.
ReplyDeleteI think this shift from focus on ever-expanding a source of cheap labor to limiting the reproduction of certain groups is an interesting by-product of the abolition of slavery. Once exploitation was no longer a lawfully acceptable route, the imperialist powers became afraid of the ramifications of being far outnumbered by those they no longer held the power to enslave. This idea of forced sterilization is an interesting comparison to the forced pregnancies which were often perpetrated by slave owners in the days before slavery was illegal. Either way, the colonizers gain some sort of comfort in knowing that they are in control of the reproduction of the colonized..
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