Margaret Sanger EPIC, the Irish emigration museum, has removed a photograph of abortion activist Margaret Sanger from its buildings after a complaint about her racist and eugenicist views.
Ms Sanger, the daughter of Irish emigrants to the US, was recently “cancelled” by American-based abortion provider Planned Parenthood due to her “racist legacy”.
In light of this decision, EPIC received a query from Angelo Bottone, a UCD philosophy professor and researcher for the Iona Institute, asking if they would be removing the poster.
EPIC responded on July 22, confirming that it would review the poster “as a matter of priority” and make a decision soon. On July 29, they confirmed that the poster would be removed.
Nathan Mannion, senior curator at EPIC, said that the poster had only been placed there temporarily and would be taken down as it was an “uncontextualised image, with no accompanying background or material”.
Two years ago, some visitors to EPIC took issue with Ms Sanger’s entry in the museum, and it was changed to emphasise the more controversial aspects of her birth-control philosophy.
Born in New York in 1879, Ms Sanger opened America’s first birth-control clinic in 1916 and founded the American Birth Control League, later Planned Parenthood, in 1921.
Though still a feminist icon, Mr Sanger’s support for eugenics and racist views are now increasingly criticised.
