Higher Profile for a Shameful Past

North Carolina’s shameful history of state-sanctioned involuntary sterilization is becoming an issue in the race for Governor.  Beverly Perdue has promised to seek compensation and just issued a detailed proposal for a foundation to determine the best way to help survivors.  Perdue’s opponent, Richard Moore, says he wants to help too, but doesn’t have a plan yet and isn’t so sure about compensation.

Three months ago, this was already an issue in the race for Lieutenant Governor.  Hampton Dellinger laid out a proposal for compensating victims and has pledged to make the issue a priority if elected.  Not only just a priority – a top priority.  Dellinger has expressed some of the strongest outrage around the sterilization program, is quite familiar with the issue, and clearly sees this as an enormous injustice it is time to correct.

When I wrote about the sterilization program last summer, I noted that in addition to compensation there was another issue – remembering and pledging “never again.”  Thankfully, simply the fact that this issue is being addressed by these major statewide candidates is a big step down the road to remembering.

However, another step we could take to remember involves the excellent museum exhibit the NC Department of Health and Human Services put together last year regarding the sterilization program.  Housed for a few months at the Museum of History, the exhibit laid out the program in chilling and compelling detail with original documents, a concise history, graphic displays, and heartbreaking stories of survivors.

Unaccountably, the exhibit was dismantled in August 2007.  This was unfortunate.  Reminding people about this part of our past should be a prime responsibility of the NC Museum of History.  The exhibit’s small size should make finding a permanent place for it at the history museum relatively easy.  Even better, set it up in the lobby between the entrances to the House and Senate chambers in the NC Legislative Building.  It would be harder for the lobbyists who throng this space to spot a targeted lawmaker across the room, but the display could shake loose some action from a General Assembly that has dragged its feet on this issue for far to long.