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Centuries-old anti-Black narratives generated by a society built on coloniality have painted Black people as savage, and used them to justify slavery. But look at the empty Egyptian pyramids and ask yourself who the real savages are.
For centuries, Europeans stole and ate Egyptian mummies. In 15th-century Europe, this kind of medical cannibalism was considered a remedy for common ailments. It all started when Western Europeans mistranslated the word mumia, originally used in reference to a substance found in black asphalt across Persia. And despite bans, unwrapping and looting mummies from Egyptian tombs continued into the 19th century.
London apothecaries sold powdered mummies. Doctors prescribed the powder for headaches, stomach problems, and seizures. And cannibalism didn’t stop with mummies. It continued on slave ships.
In 1838, sailors on the illegal Portuguese ship the Arrogante were captured off the coast of Cuba with more than blood on their hands. They had killed an enslaved person, cooked him, and served the flesh to the other kidnapped people on the ship.
Europeans are the ones who have been savage. Black bodies have long been dehumanized. These same deeply rooted “traditions” and beliefs about our bodies haven’t disappeared; they still show up in dangerous ways in today’s healthcare systems. We can use this history to protect ourselves and move accordingly.