Legal Spectatorship: Slavery and the Visual Culture of Domestic Violence

Kelli Moore's book Legal Spectatorship explores the political origins of the concept of domestic violence in the US, tracing its appearance in Article IV of the Constitution, slave narratives, police notation, cybernetic theories of affect, criminal trials, and the "look" of the battered woman. She connects the use of photographic evidence of domestic violence in courtrooms to slaves' silent experience and witnessing of domestic abuse, and shows how the logic of slavery and antiblack racism also dictates the silencing techniques of the contemporary domestic violence courtroom.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 23 May 2022
Publisher: Duke University Press

Kelli Moore delves into the historical roots of the concept of domestic violence by examining its portrayal in visual culture within the United States. She traces its origins back to its appearance in Article IV of the Constitution, slave narratives, police notation, cybernetic theories of affect, criminal trials, and the visual representation of the battered woman. Moore argues that domestic violence encompasses a broader scope than mere violence between intimate partners; it signifies the underlying mechanisms of racial hierarchy and oppression that underpin republican government in the United States.

Moore establishes a connection between the use of photographic evidence of domestic violence in courtrooms, which serves as a substitute for women's testimony, and the silent experience of slaves and their witnessing of domestic abuse. She draws upon the works of Harriet Jacobs, abolitionist print culture, courtroom witness testimony, and Hortense Spillers to illustrate how the logic of slavery and antiblack racism also governs the silencing techniques employed in contemporary domestic violence courtrooms.

By situating testimony on contemporary domestic violence prosecution within the context of slavery, Moore demonstrates that domestic violence and its portrayal are deeply intertwined with black bodies, black flesh, and black freedom. Her book received the Duke University Press Scholars of Color First Book Award, recognizing its significant contribution to the field of study.

Weight: 372g
Dimension: 153 x 229 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478018346