Eugenics scholar, author will speak at N.C. General Assembly this Wednesday

From the press release:

International Eugenics Discussion with Author Edwin Black set for Wednesday at Legislative Auditorium
RALEIGH – Edwin Black, author of “War Against the Weak” and an outspoken scholar on the topics of eugenics and the Holocaust, will present a discussion on North Carolina and global eugenics issues at 12 noon Wednesday, April 28, in the Legislative Auditorium of the N.C. General Assembly, 16 W. Jones St., Raleigh.

The N.C. Justice for Sterilization Victims Foundation is a participant in the event, which is sponsored by Rep. Earline Parmon and Campbell Law School. It is free and open to the public. If you are unable to attend the event, the program will be streamed live online on the Sterilization Victims Foundation website, www.sterilizationvictims.nc.gov, and at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/edwin-black-war-against-the-weak.

In January, Gov. Bev Perdue’s Eugenics Compensation Task Force recommended a tax free lump sum payment of $50,000 to living victims and those who were alive when initially verified by the Foundation. The Task Force also recommended providing mental health services to victims, creation and expansion of permanent and traveling eugenics exhibits, and continuation of the Sterilization Victims Foundation. The Governor recently announced that a compensation plan will be in her budget that she will submit for legislative support this spring.

State lawmakers are responsible for the final determination of the type and source of any compensation provided. The matter, which has generated bipartisan support, could be among the bills considered during the legislative session that begins in May. State Representatives Parmon and Larry Womble have co-sponsored several legislative bills for victims.

To date, 111 victims have been verified by the Sterilization Victims Foundation. The Foundation in conjunction with State Archivists continue to process verification requests submitted by individuals who may have been affected by the former N.C. Eugenics Board program. For information, call the Foundation’s toll-free hotline 877-550-6013 or visit www.sterilizationvictims.nc.gov .
Other event sponsors include the Urban League of Winston-Salem, North Carolina Holocaust Council, the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists, Jewish Life at Duke, Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, the State of California Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, Human Rights and Tolerance, the Auto Channel, History Network News, the Cutting Edge News, Spero Forum, and the Jewish Virtual Library.