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Assignment 3

Before any of the New World conquest entered, black women of Africa had lived in their bodies unmarked by Europe’s preoccupation with physiognomy. Their skin color, hair texture and their facial features were seen to be a cultural deficiency. An Englishman named Richard Ligon described what it was like seeing an African American woman for the first time. His shipped had set sail from London to the Barbados and he saw a black women for the first time. He described this black woman to be the greatest beauty he’s ever seen in one woman. He said she was large, excellently shaped with full big eyes. He compared her beauty to Queen Anne. His statement with comparing her to the Queen had a lot of controversy because it was unusual to compare someone too a monarchy, especially being a black women with how everyone else viewed them. A lot of the times, many English writers had compared a black woman body and figure to a white woman’s body. Most of the other Englishman would disagree with Richard Ligons statement and said black women to be monstrous and not feminine enough. Since many people had disagreed with Ligons views, as his journey went on he changed his view of black women. He stated that their breast would hang down below their navels and would critique their bodies. African Americans women bodies were dehumanized by the way these scholars would write about them and view them. I believe that because of these writings they did about these women, sets the stage on how society should see and views a women “perfect” body.

My question is, do you think that the sole purpose for Ligon changing his opinion on how he views black women, was based off of all the other Englishman and scholars viewing them with such negative feedback?