Necessary Lies

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of forced sterilization and racism.

Though fictional characters, Ivy’s and Mary Ella’s experiences are inspired by historically accurate events. The term “eugenics” emerged in the late 1880s, influenced by the ideas of Social Darwinism, which advocated for the promotion of the strongest, most desirable genetic traits. This period coincided with the discovery that certain diseases and other conditions were genetically inherited. Initially, eugenics was touted as a means to eliminate diseases and strengthen health through the selection of desired traits. By the 1920s, the belief had spread that modern science, in conjunction with governmental intervention, should be used to improve the nation’s population in an effort to reduce criminality and increase economic independence. The eugenics movement relied on the belief that criminality was not socially constructed but due to ingrained biological features often attributed to the most marginalized, notably Black people. What was “desirable” often meant an individual could produce greater economic surplus and, thus, profit. The peak of desirability was considered traits closely connected to professional white society. Those deemed “unfit” were people who, by either disabilities or societal discrimination, were often stuck in low-paying jobs or left depending on others for financial care.