MSNBC and other news agencies have posted news stories on the involuntary sterilization of thousands of women in North Carolina and 30 other states in the 1960s and 70s.

Many of these women were poor and frequently they were minorities. The news reports also mentioned the involvement of social workers in these activities.

National Association of Social Workers President Jeane Anastas wrote in the NASW blog about social work involvement in the eugenics movement and how the profession can educate itself to avoid such problematic areas in the future.

“It is essential that social workers and others educate themselves about this history to understand where modern discussions of genetic testing and other advanced technologies might lead,” Anastas wrote.

To read the full blog click here.