There is no sign on the facility, but it had been identified both internally and publicly by Ms. Sanger’s name. Ms. Sanger still has defenders who say the decision to repudiate her lacks historical nuance. The eugenics movement had wide support at the time in both conservative and liberal circles, Ms. Chesler said, and Ms. Sanger was squarely in the latter camp. Instead, Ms. Sanger believed that the quality of all children’s lives could be improved if their parents had smaller families, Ms. Chesler said, adding that Ms. Sanger believed Black people and immigrants had a right to that better life. “Her motives were the opposite of racism,” Ms. Chesler said, citing Ms. Sanger’s relationships with prominent Black leaders like W.E.B.

Source: New York Times July 21, 2020 15:00 UTC