Conversation about reproduction especially of black people has almost always had a racial undertone to it. The bill was never voted on but it paved way for other states to propose similar laws including Michigan, whose 1897 law failed. She was deemed “”feebleminded” and “promiscuous” and therefore, a candidate for the sterilisation program. It was after this that many Americans were repulsed by the sterilisation program, reducing its popularity by a huge margin. Virginia became the second state with such a program in 2015, 14 years after offering an apology to the victims, one fifth of which were black women.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 19, 2019 18:11 UTC