ms. nurridin: it has been, yes. it is a tough call because there are a lot of questions of when do we sort of go wrong with these eugenics. a lot of historical actors i look at in my work really believed there was a right way to do eugenics and a wrong way to do eugenics. nowadays it is a bit more controversial because of the types of associations we have with the term. the questions never really go away. the idea we can improve people on a biological level is still inflected in a lot of scientific practice. susan: as you pursue your phd you have a particular area of interest. would you explain what you are delving into? >> it is still a very preliminary but what i'm interested in looking at is the ways in which african americans in particular new -- use these ideas of eugenics and looked can be called racial science to think about racial improvement and racial equality. thinking about how science and medicine can be mobilized for the political project of black liberation. susan: what are some key dates in the study

ms. nurridin: the first half of the 20 century. he has a long career. one of his most important works that he'sed in 1904, riding until his death until the 1960's. he is covering a broad range. think what impact do you he ultimately had on society and black history in america? ms. nurridin: he is a pivotal figure. one of the architects of the black intellectual tradition. not alone, but because he was such a prolific author he really influenced a lot of disciplines. effectseally important on the discipline of sociology. considered one of the founders of modern sociology as we understand it today. he has a broad impact. a lot of scholars read him because he is the foundation for a lot of thought in the 20th century. he has this really important intellectual impact, but as far as the history of eugenics he is one blip on a radar of a larger discourse. susan: you mentioned margaret sanger. who was she and what role did she play in the field of eugenics and black american population? we sort of think back on her as the founder of what now is planned parenth