Unveiling the Gruesome History of Western Cannibalism and Human Exploitation
...Some Book Recommendations
On my Instagram page, I recently shared a post that has been making the rounds.
Trigger warning: It included images depicting the consumption of a life-sized piece of dark chocolate shaped like a human corpse.
That post took us on a thought-provoking journey into the disturbing history of Western cannibalism and human exploitation.
It compelled us to confront uncomfortable truths about a dark practice that existed centuries ago in Europe - the targeted consumption of Black bodies, particularly Nubian mummies, for medicinal purposes. Exhuming and consuming mummies was prescribed as a medicinal treatment in Europe and for entertainment.
One of the things I love about the community I have cultivated on Instagram is the courage to hold safe space for difficult conversations and the willingness and generosity to share knowledge.
Even though it was a triggering post, I gleaned at least seven book recommendations from the comments.
Here are the book recommendations listed below with links:
In this groundbreaking book, Daina Berry delves into the economic value ascribed to enslaved Black people in America throughout their lifetimes. Through meticulous research spanning over a decade, Berry exposes the commodification of the enslaved and how their worth was measured and exploited from cradle to grave, and even beyond. Link here.
Medical Apartheid by Harriet A. Washington
"Medical Apartheid" uncovers the extensive history of medical experimentation on African Americans from slavery to the present. It explores the cultural memory of medical experimentation, contemporary cases of medical abuse, and analyzes the complex relationship between racism and medicine. Link here
The Delectable Negro: Human Consumption and Homoeroticism within U.S. Slave Culture" by Vincent Woodard
In this thought-provoking book, Vincent Woodard explores the presence of homoeroticism and acts of human cannibalism within U.S. slave culture. Woodard challenges the reader to consider the slaveholder as a parasite who feeds off the laboring and eroticized black male body
”Vincent Woodard provocatively suggests that the slaveholder is a parasite who feeds off the slave's body in acts that range from cannibalistic to sexual modes of consumption, especially the homoerotic” - Carla L. Peterson
"The Delectable Negro uncovers a compelling set of themes in the scholarship on U.S. slave culture: white cannibalism as a significant trope for white depletion of, and desire for, the laboring and eroticized black male body.” - Maurice O. Wallace. Link here
The Gruesome History of Eating Corpses as Medicine" by Maria Dolan for Smithsonian Magazine
Dolan's article delves into the historical consumption of human remains as medicinal substances in early Europe. It explores the prevalent practice of consuming substances like mummies, powdered skulls, and fresh blood, and connects it to prevalent homeopathic beliefs of the time. The article also draws attention to contemporary concerns, such as illicit organ trafficking that mirror the historical commodification of human bodies. Link here
The Isis Papers: The Keys to the Colors by Dr. Frances C. Welsing
This compilation of essays by Frances Cress Welsing provides a comprehensive and psychogenetic framework for understanding the neurosis of white supremacy delusions, culture/system, and its global expression and operations. Link here
Eating the Other by bell Hooks:
This recommendation came in later, and I didn’t have the space to review it. If you have read this book, please share your thoughts in the comments. Ahsante!
These book recommendations offer valuable insights into the grim history of Western cannibalism and exploitation. The historical accounts shed light on the recurring presence of cannibalism throughout European history, leaving a lasting impact that continues to haunt our collective memory.
Engaging with these works can help us better comprehend the disturbing realities of the past, empowering us to shape a more (re)balanced future focused on just and commensurate repair.
Tell me: Have you read any of these books?
Interesting links:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-gruesome-history-of-eating-corpses-as-medicine-82360284/
https://www.livescience.com/eating-egyptian-mummies
https://sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/mummies-and-the-usefulness-of-death/