The AP reports that North Carolina has convened a task force to hear testimony from the subjects of the state's forced sterilization program: "NC grapples with legacy of sterilization programs".
Eugenics programs gained popularity in the U.S. and other countries in the early 1900s, but most abandoned those efforts after World War II because of the association with Nazi Germany's program aimed at racial purity. However, North Carolina's expanded, with sterilizations peaking in the 1950s and early 1960s. About 70 percent of the state's 7,600 sterilizations occurred after the war, state figures show.
The article discusses some of the history, ponders why North Carolina's program continued later than other states, and includes quotes both from people who were sterilized and from psychologists who participated in the decisions.
(via Kristina Killgrove)
