Imani Perry

Oh, I learned so much. So here's the thing. I have spent much more time before working on this book in thinking about and studying, of course, cotton, but also tobacco, right? And so to turn my attention, and even sugar, and so to turn my attention to indigo was something different.

And part of what I learned, one, is these scenes from the historical record of people being exchanged for a block of indigo were just absolutely devastating to me. People who were artisans and family members and skilled for who had been adorned in indigo now seeing their worth measured in dye, right? I mean, it just is sort of unbelievably... poignant sense of what it meant to be enslaved.

And part of what I learned, one, is these scenes from the historical record of people being exchanged for a block of indigo were just absolutely devastating to me. People who were artisans and family members and skilled for who had been adorned in indigo now seeing their worth measured in dye, right? I mean, it just is sort of unbelievably... poignant sense of what it meant to be enslaved.

And part of what I learned, one, is these scenes from the historical record of people being exchanged for a block of indigo were just absolutely devastating to me. People who were artisans and family members and skilled for who had been adorned in indigo now seeing their worth measured in dye, right? I mean, it just is sort of unbelievably... poignant sense of what it meant to be enslaved.

And then in the context of U.S. slavery, and particularly South Carolina, having read about Eliza Pinckney, who is known as the person who sort of brought indigo to the states in And a very young, precocious white woman plantation owner. And realizing that she struggled with the cultivation of indigo until an unnamed black person was brought to teach her how to cultivate it.

And then in the context of U.S. slavery, and particularly South Carolina, having read about Eliza Pinckney, who is known as the person who sort of brought indigo to the states in And a very young, precocious white woman plantation owner. And realizing that she struggled with the cultivation of indigo until an unnamed black person was brought to teach her how to cultivate it.

And then in the context of U.S. slavery, and particularly South Carolina, having read about Eliza Pinckney, who is known as the person who sort of brought indigo to the states in And a very young, precocious white woman plantation owner. And realizing that she struggled with the cultivation of indigo until an unnamed black person was brought to teach her how to cultivate it.

And that the realization that that is part actually of the creation of certainly part of the institution of slavery, but also part of the creation of race is that this person who actually was the educator would not be credited for allowing this trade to flourish. And also, at the same time, other black people's lives would be, you know, made available.

And that the realization that that is part actually of the creation of certainly part of the institution of slavery, but also part of the creation of race is that this person who actually was the educator would not be credited for allowing this trade to flourish. And also, at the same time, other black people's lives would be, you know, made available.

And that the realization that that is part actually of the creation of certainly part of the institution of slavery, but also part of the creation of race is that this person who actually was the educator would not be credited for allowing this trade to flourish. And also, at the same time, other black people's lives would be, you know, made available.

really unbearable by virtue of the success of this trade. Indigo is very hard to cultivate. It stinks. It makes you sick. There's flies. There's vermin. It's one of these really hard things to make. And so that to me, it just was so poignant how that industry could actually communicate something about what it meant for Black people to be racialized as such.

really unbearable by virtue of the success of this trade. Indigo is very hard to cultivate. It stinks. It makes you sick. There's flies. There's vermin. It's one of these really hard things to make. And so that to me, it just was so poignant how that industry could actually communicate something about what it meant for Black people to be racialized as such.

really unbearable by virtue of the success of this trade. Indigo is very hard to cultivate. It stinks. It makes you sick. There's flies. There's vermin. It's one of these really hard things to make. And so that to me, it just was so poignant how that industry could actually communicate something about what it meant for Black people to be racialized as such.

Yeah, yeah. I'm very interested in talking about products like indigo and sugar because, not to the exclusion of things like indigo, sugar, tobacco, not to the exclusion of rice and cotton, but because those were luxuries. And to think about what it meant for people's lives to be ground down in the service of something that was for another person's delight is really...

Yeah, yeah. I'm very interested in talking about products like indigo and sugar because, not to the exclusion of things like indigo, sugar, tobacco, not to the exclusion of rice and cotton, but because those were luxuries. And to think about what it meant for people's lives to be ground down in the service of something that was for another person's delight is really...

Yeah, yeah. I'm very interested in talking about products like indigo and sugar because, not to the exclusion of things like indigo, sugar, tobacco, not to the exclusion of rice and cotton, but because those were luxuries. And to think about what it meant for people's lives to be ground down in the service of something that was for another person's delight is really...

a powerful reckoning with some of the ugliest parts of what it means to be human. And I don't mean that simply in terms of the history of slavery. I mean, these are questions we can ask ourselves today. Why are we allowing for so many industries to flourish that allow human beings to suffer for our pleasure?

a powerful reckoning with some of the ugliest parts of what it means to be human. And I don't mean that simply in terms of the history of slavery. I mean, these are questions we can ask ourselves today. Why are we allowing for so many industries to flourish that allow human beings to suffer for our pleasure?

a powerful reckoning with some of the ugliest parts of what it means to be human. And I don't mean that simply in terms of the history of slavery. I mean, these are questions we can ask ourselves today. Why are we allowing for so many industries to flourish that allow human beings to suffer for our pleasure?

Yeah.