This freestyle episode of The Afrocentric Podcast dives deep into a grim but often hidden history — the literal and symbolic consumption of Black bodies throughout American history. From the era when enslaved Africans were treated as commodities to the disturbing cases of human consumption in early America, this episode retraces how anti-Black cannibalism took many forms — physical, spiritual, and economic.

We explore the ways Black flesh and identity were objectified: from the “alligator bait” atrocities and furniture stuffed with African hair to the grotesque relics made from human skin. We’ll recall figures like Nat Turner and reframe acts of rebellion and retribution in light of this system of consumption.

Finally, the episode bridges past and present, questioning whether the appetite for Black life continues today — in the commodification of “melanin,” the fetishization of Black culture, and the haunting rise in missing Black children that rarely make national headlines.

This episode challenges listeners to confront the question: has the consumption of Black humanity ever truly stopped — or has it just evolved?