We join the world in mourning the recent deaths of Breanna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade and we remember with heavy hearts all the Black lives lost before them. We stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and against systemic racism and police brutality. 

We understand reproductive justice in the context of state violence. Reproductive justice demands not only the right to have or not have children but also the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy and the right to exist in safe environments. Through our scholarship, we envision a world that adheres to the principles of reproductive justice. Attaining reproductive justice requires Black liberation inclusive of freedom from policing, incarceration, and all other forms of state violence. 

We recognize how discrimination and racism pervades medical and scientific institutions, whether through ideologies of  “race betterment” and eugenics or pernicious concepts of health, normalcy, and perfection. As researchers, our work documents the role that criminalization and policing has played in justifying the diminishment of the reproductive autonomy of Black people, communities of color, disabled persons, and LGBT+ individuals. 

In solidarity, we join the global movement for Black lives and commit to the following:

• Continue our research highlighting the history of eugenics and how it targets and impacts communities of color;
• Amplify and highlight marginalized voices of people and communities impacted by reproductive injustice;
• Develop accessible platforms to disseminate our scholarship and provide educational resources;
• Support the continued intervention and acknowledgement of eugenic practices in the United States at state and institutional levels, including redress and reparations for involuntary sterilization; and
• Highlight the work of scholars of color that address the issues of race, reproduction, eugenics, violence, and sexual autonomy and injustice

The following resources provide further information, education, and aid. 

• Antiracism Resources; For general information and education
• #ShutDownAcademia/STEM; An initiative from a multi-identity, intersectional coalition of STEM professionals and academics taking action for Black lives
• #BlackInTheIvory; Hashtag sharing the experience of Black scholars within academic settings
• Academics4BlackLives.com; Academics for Black Survival and Wellness fosters accountability and growth for non-Black people and enhances healing and wellness for Black people
• Support Black Disabled Activists; Resources and ways to support the disabled Black community
• Reading List: Debating Justice, Politics, and Culture in Black America; Readings and scholarship related to Black history, justice, and politics

Recent and Upcoming Talks

Natalie Lira, Venus Gines, and Azadeh Shahshahani. Dignidad para migrantes Town Hall: A discussion on eugenics, health injustices and human rights violations at U.S. ICE detention centers. 6 October 2020. 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM EST. Online.

ELSI Virtual Forum • "30 Years of the Genome: Integrating and Applying ELSI Research." Online Broadcast June 15. Video will be posted soon.

Natalie Lira and Nicole Novak. Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science 2020 Conference. 30 September – 2 October. Online.

Nicole Novak. American Public Health Association 2020 Annual Meeting and Expo. 24 – 28 October. San Francisco, CA. Online.

Kate O'Connor. American Public Health Association 2020 Annual Meeting and Expo. 24 – 28 October. San Francisco, CA. Online.

Select Media Coverage

News, articles, and opinion pieces related to the project.

Catherine E. Shoichet. "In a Horrifying History of Forced Sterilizations, Some Fear the US is Beginning a New Chapter." CNN. 16 September 2020.

CDC. Health Equity Considerations and Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups. 24 July 2020.
 
Austin Frakt. "Race and Medicine: The Harm that Comes from Mistrust." New York Times. 13 January 2020.

Caroline Lieffers. "California's Eugenic Sterilization Program." Disability History Association Podcast. 9 September 2019.

Alexandra Minna Stern. "Clarence Thomas' Linking Abortion to Eugenics is as Inaccurate as it is Dangerous." Newsweek. 31 May 2019.

See more media coverage...

Scholarly Publications

Peer reviewed monographs, reports, and articles by research team members.

Alexandra Minna Stern. "Forced sterilization policies in the US targeted minorities and those with disabilities – and lasted into the 21st century." The Conversation. 26 August 2020.

Kerime Alejo, Ivan Saucedo, Fatima Valerio, and Dr.  Natalie Lira. "Behind the Board: Eugenic Sterilizations in North Carolina." 5 June 2020.
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Nicole L. Novak, Natalie Lira, Kate E. O'Connor, Siobán D. Harlow, Sharon L. R. Kardia, and Alexandra Minna Stern. "Disproportionate Sterilization of Latinos Under California's Eugenic Sterilization Program, 1920–1945." American Journal of Public Health 108, No. 5. May 2018. 611–613.

Alexandra Minna Stern, Nicole L. Novak, Natalie Lira, Kate E. O’Connor, Siobán D. Harlow, and Sharon L. R. Kardia. "California’s Sterilization Survivors: An Estimate and Call for Redress." American Journal of Public Health 107, No. 1. January 2017. 50–54.

See more publications...