The White African American Body: A Cultural and Literary Exploration

by Charles D. Martin

Blacks with white skin. Since colonial times, showmen have exhibited the bodies of African Americans with white or gradually whitening skin in taverns, dime museums, and circus sideshows. The term "white Negro" has served to describe an individual born with albinism as well as those who have vitiligo, a disorder that robs the skin of its pigment in ever-growing patches. In The White African American Body , Charles D. Martin examines the proliferation of the image of the white Negro in American popular culture, from the late eighteenth century to the present day. This enigmatic figure highlights the folly of the belief in immutable racial differences. If skin is a race marker, what does it mean for blacks literally to be white? What does this say not only about blacks but also about whites? Scientists have probed this mystery, philosophers have pondered its meaning, and artists have profited from the sale of images of these puzzling figures. Lavishly illustratedwith many rarely seen photographs The White African American Body shows how the white Negro occupied, and still occupies, the precarious position between white and black, and how this figure remains resilient in American culture.

221 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2002

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This past week I dug into my non-fiction shelves to read “The White African American Body” by Charles Martin. The important subtitle is “A Cultural and Literary Exploration.” This book explores the effects of vitiligo and the albinism gene in African Americans in the United States starting with the colonial era. It does move through time up into the early 90’s, touching on the Michael Jackson scandals and his music videos.
Martin starts the cultural exploration with some of the earlier colonial writings after the United States of America has been established. He pulls from the writings of Thomas Jefferson as well as from the later posters of Barnum’s Circus. All of the writings he pulls from concern the African American people who are afflicted with vitiligo or the albinism gene. Tracing how the culture of that time felt about an African American with light-colored skin, both the enslavers and the immigrants from the old world, Martin explains how the spectacle moved from the entertainment/circus arena to the scientific/philosophical arena through the years. He continues through the years to discuss both blackface and whiteface in plays of the time. Eventually he finishes with the scandal surrounding Michael Jackson and his lightening skin.
As an English major, this was an interesting viewpoint for me. I have not previously researched this viewpoint before so it was a new topic. There is no way to avoid or ignore the inherent racism that is brought up throughout the book because of the topic itself. Plus, the texts that Martin references are blatantly racist. Martin does try to keep a non-judgmental voice throughout the text, but unless you are a literary or cultural researcher, this is not a book to pick up on a whim.