The Department of Education in collaboration with Torchlight Academy presented “Teaching Eugenics: A Paradigm for the 21st Century” on Wednesday, April 29 in the Prezell R. Robinson Library. The presenter was Ms. Elaine Riddick, a North Carolina Eugenics victim.

Eugenics is a movement that is aimed at improving the genetic composition of the human race. Historically, eugenicists advocated selective breeding to achieve these goals.

“Heartbreaking and horrendous as it is, Ms. Riddick’s story is not one that is well known or appreciated by college students,” said M. Iyailu Moses, Ed. D., dean, of SAU’s School of Liberal Arts and Education. “We believe that it is important for young people to be made aware of such injustices and to be aware of the sources of oppression and the many ways in which injustice occurs. Their education must enable them to make the connections between such societal ills as eugenics and the choices that they may make in their own lives.”