RALEIGH — For decades, North Carolina tried to discourage the reproduction of individuals who possessed “undesirable” genetic traits. This practice, known as negative eugenics, led to the state’s forced sterilization program.
It’s been reported in recent years that during this dark chapter in North Carolina’s history, about 7,600 individuals were forcibly sterilized from 1929 until as late as the 1970s. North Carolina should try to right this wrong by financially compensating the estimated 2,900 living victims of this program.
