MASSDEVICE ON CALL — A North Carolina proposal to compensate thousands of people who were sterilized during the state’s regrettable eugenics days gained momentum with the endorsement of state Republicans, but financial woes mean the money may not make it to the victims any time soon.
The eugenics movement gained popularity in the early 1900s, and called for the sterilization of individuals considered socially or intellectually unfit.
More than 30 U.S. states sanctioned eugenics, and most victims were sterilized by force or without proper consent.