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North Carolina Eugenics

From 1929 until 1974, an estimated 7,600 North Carolinians, women and men, many of whom were poor, undereducated, institutionalized, sick or disabled, were sterilized by choice, force or coercion under the authorization of the North Carolina Eugenics Board program.Gov. Bev Perdue established the N.C. Justice for Sterilization Victims Foundation in 2010 to provide justice and compensate victims who were forcibly sterilized by the State of North Carolina. The Foundation functions as a clearinghouse to assist victims of the former N.C. Eugenics Board program and thereby serves as the primary point of contact for victims, potential victims and the general public who are seeking guidance about North Carolina’s former sterilization laws and program.- NCDOA

NC Eugenics Board Recommends Compensating Sterilization Victims

WHQR

Published August 1, 2011 at 5:33 PM EDT

08-01-11 – A task force investigating the forced sterilization of an estimated 7,600 North Carolina residents released its preliminary report to Governor Bev Perdue Monday. WHQR's Sara Wood reports on the task force's recommendations for nearly 2,000 living victims.

The Eugenics Task Force established by Governor Perdue outlines four recommendations in its draft report. They include financial compensation and mental health services for surviving victims, funding for a travelling eugenics exhibit and a foundation supporting the victims.

The North Carolina Eugenics Board program ran from 1929 to 1977 and sterilized poor, sick and disabled residents. While most states abolished their eugenics programs after World War II, North Carolina produced the majority of its sterilizations after the war, resulting in more victims than many other states.

Final recommendations from the task force are due to the Governor early next year.

Read the Eugenics Task Force report.

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