Currently reading up on the history of the reproductive justice movement and came across a passage in Margret Sanger's book highlighting the reason for forced sterilization/eugenics towards Black people....get this it is a direct quote from W.E.B Du Bois.

On the other hand, the mass of ignorant Negroes still breed carelessly and disastrously, so that the increase among Negroes, even more than the increase among whites, is from that part of the population least intelligent and fit, and least able to rear their children properly.

W. E. B. Du Bois, "Black Folk and Birth Control," Birth Control Review, 16, no. 6 (June 1932): 166-67

It be ya own leaders.....

For context I decided to read more of his writing and whewww chile it is not looking good. Like he discusses how family planning (read: abortion & birth control access) can be a tool for economic empowerment but he heavily focuses on classism as a main reason for sterilization

Not only does he frame his support for birth control as a means to limit "ignorant and impoverished" Black people from having children he also does so comparatively to white people.

Ex: In a 10yr time span white women had less children than Black women

In his defense, he does bring up the Negro's high rate of infant and maternal morality as another cause to limit or postpone child rearing.

I don't get it.... but I get it. I think his thinking was severely flawed in some regards; however he was correct in addressing how Black women were being left without access to family planning. Like all aspects of the Women's movement (at the time and still) BW we neglected.

Still a problematic, hot mess but after further reading now as awful as I originally thought. Still awful though lol