Mississippi Appendectomy

An involuntary sterilization. During the heyday of the American eugenics movement (1920s and 1930s), poor black women were frequently given hysterectomies or tubal ligations against their will and without their knowledge. It was considered particularly frequent in the Deep South.

She went into the doctor for a cold and came out with a Mississippi appendectomy.

by Richelle May 13, 2006