By: Rachel Caldwell

This painting features the words of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Holmes and Virginia Supreme Court Justice West on the chains that cover a uterus. This represents how Justice Holmes' and Justice West's majority opinions in the case Buck v. Bell (1927) restricted women's reproductive freedom by holding involuntary sterilizations constitutional. By taking away primarily women's sexual autonomy of reproduction, this decision has perpetuated a long history of sexual violence. The phrases chosen include "feeble minded," "competent and conscientious authority," "three generations of imbeciles are enough," and "socially inadequate offspring." These phrases show the unwarranted justifications presented by the court in upholding forced sterilizations. They highlight the assumption that a troublesome parent will have troublesome children and that this justifies involuntary sterilization.

References

Buck v. Bell, 143 Va. 310, 130 S.E. 516, 1925 Va. LEXIS 268, 51 A.L.R. 855 (Supreme Court of Virginia November 12, 1925).

Buck v. Bell, 274 U.S. 200, 47 S. Ct. 584, 71 L. Ed. 1000, 1927 U.S. LEXIS 20 (Supreme Court of the United States May 2, 1927, Decided ).