▁Black ▁women ▁from ▁main stream ▁women ' s ▁rights ▁movements . ▁ ▁The ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁birth ▁control ▁movement ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁al ien ated ▁Black ▁women ▁in ▁many ▁ways . ▁ ▁With ▁mostly ▁white ▁leadership , ▁advoc ates ▁in ▁this ▁movement ▁c ater ed ▁mainly ▁to ▁the ▁needs ▁of ▁white ▁women . ▁Additionally , ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁white ▁national ists ▁spread ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁“ race ▁suic ide ,” ▁the ▁fear ▁that ▁white ▁women ▁using ▁birth ▁control ▁would ▁reduce ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁white ▁b ab ies ▁being ▁born , ▁thus ▁limit ing ▁the ▁power ▁and ▁control ▁of ▁white ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁This ▁concept ▁has ▁been ▁complement ed ▁by ▁a ▁history ▁of ▁forced ▁and ▁co er ced ▁ster il ization ▁of ▁women ▁of ▁color ▁around ▁the ▁world , ▁including ▁in ▁the ▁US . ▁The ▁most ▁recent ▁cases ▁of ▁non - cons ens ual ▁ster il ization ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁occurred ▁throughout ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁target ing ▁“ w omen ▁living ▁with ▁H IV , ▁women ▁who ▁are ▁eth nic ▁and ▁ra cial ▁minor ities , ▁women ▁with ▁dis abilities , ▁and ▁poor ▁women , ▁among ▁others .” ▁O ften , ▁the ▁“ cons ent ” ▁for ▁ster il ization ▁was ▁obtained ▁from ▁women ▁under ▁dist ress ing ▁circumstances ▁( i . e . ▁during ▁child b irth ) ▁or ▁obtained ▁without ▁providing ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁necessary ▁information ▁regarding ▁the ▁ster il ization . ▁Other ▁times , ▁a ▁woman '