Author Description

My thoughts and opinions in this pamphlet come from my lack of knowledge about a crucial moment in our country's history. In October 2018, I was shocked, disappointed, and angry when I watched the PBS special on the eugenics movement. This journey of reeducation has revealed to me that at every level of society, we have failed to recognize the mistakes and challenges faced as a free and fair nation. Human beings are naturally prone to making errors, sometimes with devastating effects. What remains confusing and an ongoing topic for philosophers and historians is our persistent tendency-mainly among white, prejudiced, religious zealots-and often successfully, to hide and disown our very real and well-documented American history. The school history books I reviewed omitted any mention of the American eugenics movement and the notable Americans involved in supporting this false science, which promoted the sterilization of people based on poorly conducted studies and surveys. Our challenging history brings us from the eugenics movement of the early 1900s to World War II and the Holocaust. Our history books fail to acknowledge the education Hitler received from the political and social events taking place in America, as well as the significant support he received from our so-called American heroes and political figures of that era. The eugenics-inspired strict immigration laws, along with the widespread antisemitism among politicians, religious leaders, and ordinary Americans, prevented thousands of Jews from escaping to safety, including Anne Frank's family. In this pamphlet, I aimed to connect the dots between various events, including the Native American genocide and the injustice and violence faced by Black Americans. Hitler observed these issues and exploited them for his own gain. This history is well documented, yet very little was shared or taught during my early education. Today, misinformation persists about critical race theory, along with the cens