Content warning: mentions of cannibalism/mutilation
Recently I’ve started reading The Delectable Negro by Vincent Woodard. I’ve only just started it and have barely dived in, but so far Woodard discusses the different forms consumption of Black slaves/peoples and the overall parasitic nature of the master and slave dynamic.
Two things that have stuck out to me so far in the book is Woodard choosing to describe the United States as an “experiment”, I think when viewing and describing the U.S. as such it gives way to an interesting view of the history that formed this country, whether you also view it racially/critically or not. An example of this that came to mind is the colonization of America in a pursuit to then gain independence from England, when viewing it as an experiment it seems like the creation of the U.S. is done to see if it was possible in a way, if that makes sense. That it was done to see how far a country could go and how true the Founding Fathers vow of freedom for all, despite the country’s conception being raised upon a lack of freedom for many.
The second ‘thing’ that has stuck out to me is the mention of Nat Turner, a slaved albolitionist who led a rebellion against slave owners, this of course led to Turner’s death by hanging. Woodard also mentions oral records of “whites who tried to coerce [black members of Southhampton, Virgina] into consuming Nat Turner’s boiled-down flesh and entrails.” (Woodard, pg. 6, para. 1). This, of course, is an extremely gruesome act to enact on any person and is only further sickening with white people trying to convince black people to eat Turner’s body, as though to exert power further over black people or perhaps to intimidate, or maybe just to be disgusting human beings.
Though, this is of course allegedly since this information comes from oral records, an unreliable source of information especially as time passes, but what is true is the doctor who bought Turner’s body days before his execution, Turner being decapitated afterwards and his skull still having no confirmed location, his skeleton strung up for a class by the doctor who bought him, and his skin used to make novelty purses. Such extreme inhumane acts on a man I know extremely little about despite taking several classes surronding ethnic studies, let alone history classes taken for the last 18 years.
Despite how morose this book is so far, I am enjoying the subject matter and how it’s making me think critically about the depiction of black people and body horror within media. I am also interested to see the other aspects of consumption socially, metophorically, and literally, along with his view and description of slave and master dynamics being parasitic and how that parasite perpetuates itself throughout history.
Leave a Reply