From Plants to People: Mendelian Eugenics in NC in the 20th Century

Grace Wiedrich, CRDM PhD Student, NC State University The Mendelian eugenics movement in NC provides a useful case study into the lasting impact of over-generalized genetic theory on governments, medical professionals, and activists.

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Abstract

The history of eugenics in the United States is deeply entwined with theories about plants and animals arising in the 19th century. By the early 20th century, selective breeding of humans became a popular concern around the country. It was believed that all traits, from hair color to intelligence to morality, were passed on through the blood. However, even after geneticists had proven eugenics to be a pseudoscience by the 1930s, the popular culture of eugenics deeply impacted public policy, education, and activism into the 1970s. North Carolina provides a useful case study into the lasting impact of over-generalized genetic theory on governments, medical professionals, and activists.

Speaker Bio

Grace Wiedrich is currently a PhD student in Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media and an instructor in the English department at NC State. Her research focuses on eugenics rhetoric during the 20th century in the United States, with a special interest in the interplay among race, gender, and ability.

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GES Colloquium is jointly taught by Drs. Jen Baltzegar and Dawn Rodriguez-Ward, who you may contact with any class-specific questions. Colloquium will be held in person in the 1911 Building, room 129, and live-streamed via Zoom.

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