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19th century south; African american history; Antebellum south; Black history; Black women; Brothels; Commercial sex; Early colonial new orleans; Fancy girls; Fancy maids; Fancy trade; Gens de couleur libres; Griffe; Josie arlington; Louisiana; Lulu white; Mulatto; New orleans; Octoroon; Postbellum south; Prostitution; Quadroon; Sex slavery; Slavery; Storyville; Willie piazza; Women's history
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Animal-Like And Depraved: Racist Stereotypes, Commercial Sex, And Black Women's Identity In New Orleans, 1825-1917, Porsha Dossie
Animal-Like And Depraved: Racist Stereotypes, Commercial Sex, And Black Women's Identity In New Orleans, 1825-1917, Porsha Dossie
HIM 1990-2015
My objective with this thesis is to understand how racist stereotypes and myths compounded the sale of fair-skinned black women during and after the slave trade in New Orleans, Louisiana. This commodification of black women's bodies continued well into the twentieth century, notably in New Orleans' vice district of Storyville. Called "quadroons" (a person with ¼ African ancestry) and "octoroons" (1/8 African ancestry), these women were known for their "sexual prowess" and drew in a large number of patrons. The existence of "white passing" black women complicated ideas about race and racial purity in the South. Race as a myth …