American Birth Control League Poster

The precursor to today's Planned Parenthood, the American Birth Control League was founded by Margaret Sanger in 1921. Sanger encouraged women to take control of their reproductive health, and promoted the concept of birth control in the hopes of educating the American public. Sanger is a controversial and problematic figure in American history because while she did much to promote the usage of birth control and offer women control over their own reproduction, she also espoused racist and ableist views in line with those of many eugenicists at the time: she believed in negative eugenics, or reducing the reproduction of those considered unfit in the name of improving human heredity in the future. While Sanger herself may not be worth celebrating, the work she did to expand access to birth control is worth touting. Celebrate People's History with this poster. Put it up in your office, classroom, home, or wherever else you wish.