Today We Are Sisters #1

From 1909-1979, forced sterilization was legal in the State of California. The law targeted mostly Spanish surnames. American prison artist C-Note,... more

by Donald 'C-Note' Hooker

Title

Today We Are Sisters #1

Artist

Donald 'C-Note' Hooker

Medium

Drawing - Wax On Paper

Description

From 1909-1979, forced sterilization was legal in the State of California. The law targeted mostly Spanish surnames. American prison artist C-Note, the world's most prolific prison artist, wanted the world to know this story in his artwork "Today We Are Sisters."

"Today We Are Sisters," is the title of a paintoem (painting + poem). Both the painting and paintoem tell the tale of the 150 California female prisoners that were illegally forcibly sterilized from 2006-2010, after the forced sterilization law was repealed in 1979.

In 2021 shortly after the release of the prison artist's free virtual art exhibition, 1-Artist; 1-Subject; 21-Works, which closed with Today We Are Sisters, the California legislation finally passed legislation giving $7M reparations to the California women prisoners who were forcibly sterilized. It was signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom in July of 2021.

Uploaded

September 20th, 2023