Wake up, little suzie : single pregnancy and race before Roe v. Wade / Rickie Solinger ; interviewed by Laura Iyama.

Rickie Solinger, from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Women's Studies program, discusses the politics of female fertility, particularly American attitudes towards unwed mothers of various races from 1945 to 1965. She traces the roots of race and gender attitudes before the 1940's. White unwed mothers were thought to have a mental problem which could be addressed thorough institutionalization, while Black unwed mothers were seen as oversexed or out to cheat the system. She goes on to look at Southern laws which were aimed at ending White unwed motherhood, and the coercion used to take children away from their biological mothers as a solution to single patenting. Currently, some of those women have organized a group called Concerned United Birth Parents, and are searching for their lost children. The separate treatment and attitudes toward White and Black women has left a legacy, but the ability of safe abortions has changed the situation dramatically. Solinger warns, however, of potential restrictions being placed upon Roe v. Wade.|WAKE UP, LITTLE SUZIE : SINGLE PREGNANCY AND RACE BEFORE ROE v. WADE / Rickie Solinger| interviewed by Laura Iyama. - Rickie Solinger, from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Womens' Studies program, discusses the politics of female fertility, particularly American attitudes towards unwed mothers of various races from 1945 to 1965. She traces the roots of race and gender attitudes before the 1940's. White unwed mothtes were thought to have a mental problem which could be addressed thorugh institutionalization, while Black unwed mothers were seen as oversexed or out to cheat the system. She goes on to look at Southern laws which were aimed at ending White unwed motherhood, and the coercion used to take children away from their biological mothers as a solution to single parenting. Curently, some of those women have organized a group called "Concerned United Birth Parents," and are searching for their lost children. The separate treatment and attitudes toward White and Black women has left a legacy, but the ability of safe abortions has changed the situation dramatically. Solinger warns, however, of potential restrictions being placed upon Roe v. Wade. - RECORDED: 22 June 1992.