North Carolina used to decide who was worthy of reproducing and who would be denied this natural and fundamental right. From 1929 to at least the 1970s, the state was involved in eugenics and forcibly sterilized individuals from across the state.

This dark chapter in the state’s history should not be forgotten. It is not a remnant from the distant past but something that is recent and still haunts the state today. There are an estimated 2,944 living victims from this atrocity.

This report provides background on North Carolina’s eugenics program and makes the case as to why the victims should be compensated for the horrible wrong that was done to them in the name of the greater good.



North Carolina’s Forced-Sterilization Program: A Case for Compensating the Living Victims