Michael Harriot's "Drapetomaniax: Unshackled History" (of black history)

[Solly Mack]

Drapetomaniax: Unshackled History

A podcast with Michael Harriot.


Drapetomaniax: Unshackled History, is a Black history lesson unlike any other. Equal parts funny and informative, each episode mixes comprehensive research, Harriot’s unrivaled comedic wit and an assortment of celebrity guests, including Yvette Nicole Brown, MSNBC’s Joy Reid and Charlamagne tha God to help bring Black stories you’ve likely never heard to life.


Podcast schedule page for Drapetomaniax: Unshackled History Also contains link to open podcast on your computer.


Drapetomania was the term coined by the racist doctor Samuel A. Cartwright who claimed that slaves wanting to escape bondage must be mentally ill because slavery much improved the lives of black people bought and sold into slavery. He published a paper on his racist concept.

When people talk of slavery not being that bad, or of "good" masters, or slavery being beneficial to those enslaved, you can see the concept of drapetomania running through such thinking. ("Why are those people complaining, slavery wasn't that bad?" - the implication being something must be wrong with black people to think slavery was bad. The are plenty other examples out there.)

If you can, give a listen.

Thanks!

Solly

[brer cat]

1. I enjoy Michael Harriot.

Bookmarking for later listening. Thanks, Solly!

[Solly Mack]

2. You're welcome, brer cat

[leftstreet]

3. DURec

[Solly Mack]

8. Thanks.

[Aristus]

4. That blisteringly incompetent, unethical shithead whom someone granted an MD

also coined the ‘diagnoses’ “rascality” and “negritude”.

I hope that motherfucker (or cousinfucker, whatever…) is burning in agony down in Hell for all eternity.

[Solly Mack]

6. Aime Cesaire coined the term Negritude and it's not a negative. At all.

It means the positive self-affirmation of blackness. Of what it means to be black in a world dominated by the colonizer - the white world.

[Aristus]

9. All right. That's good to know. I only ever saw the word in context of Cartwright and his evil

‘diagnoses’ of people desperate to escape from enslavement. As if wanting that was a mental illness.

Thank you for correcting me.

[Solly Mack]

10. Used in conjunction with his words, it was probably meant to be negative.

But the movement itself wasn't. Cesaire was a French born, of Nigerian descent, poet and author.

[Aristus]

11. I was just reading his Wikipedia article.

Interesting. It’s always good to learn new things.

[Solly Mack]

12. A good read on the Negritude Movement. If want you, is...

Negritude Movement

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Thank you!

Always looking for engaging podcasts for my commute days.

[Solly Mack]

7. You're welcome, JustAnotherGen. Enjoy!

It's good.