The myth of the big Black penis

By Myra Flynn

Published September 19, 2024 at 2:54 PM EDT

*Hassan Salaam, known in the adult film world as “King Noire,” has performed in hundreds of videos, hosts a podcast, works in the film world behind the camera and is also a rap artist.*

In our fourth and final episode of the special series “Stereo-anti-types,” we tackle one of the “biggest” stereotypes out there about the Black body today: the myth of the big Black penis. Host Myra Flynn speaks with Black men, including a porn star, about how this myth affects their lives and their profession, and a female sexologist who knows a lot about the origin of this stereotype that plagues Black men. A heads up that this episode is explicit, and maybe even hard to listen to. But here on Homegoings we believe most of the important stuff usually is.

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Out of all the stereotypes we’ve covered in this series so far, this one is at the center of all of them because the Black body is at the center of all of them. And when it comes to the Black body there’s one — big stereotype that’s alive and well today.

The Black penis isn’t just talked about as big; it’s been called gigantic, beast-like, unhuman and untamed. Black penises have been historically depicted in caricatures and other visual art as weapons, horses and the marks of demons. The Black man himself, as in the 1957 novel by Kyle Onstott Mandingo, has been depicted as this inexhaustible machine that can only be used for labor and sex. And speaking of books, the association between big penises and sexuality predates the modern understanding of race. Even the Bible talks about this in Ezekiel 23:20, which says,“[They] lusted after their lovers whose genitals were like those of donkeys, and emissions were like that of stallions.”

This is a tricky stereotype to recognize because it’s usually dressed up as a compliment. But in reality, this myth is as harmful as it is complimentary. It’s an objectifying, dehumanizing race-based sexual stereotype, rooted in slavery, auctions, and the sale of Black bodies.

“Black men, that's their selling point for their porn or, you know, kind of like their existence, because they've bought into the stereotype that we don't have anything to offer besides our [penis].” - Hassan “King Noire” Salaam

In this episode, Myra unpacks this myth with a group of Black men, an adult film star and a sexologist. Together they unravel the thread of dehumanization that's followed Black men from the auction block to our computer screens.

*Tyomi Morgan is a sexologist, sex therapist and sex educator. “I just love… empowering Black people to take charge of their sexuality, since historically, it was taken from us.”*

“It's like we have this pressure, and if you don't fit in with this person that is fetishizing you, that is only there because of the mystical idea of the big Black dick, they don't care about you. They're not going to treat you and love you for you, for your big Black brain, or your big Black heart or your big Black soul.” - Hassan “King Noire” Salaam

*“I really hope that Black men will begin to advocate for that for themselves, because they have to be the ones to also do it.” - Tyomi Morgan*

*“I feel like in order, in order for us to heal as men, we also have to take ownership of… where we're also oppressing those below us.” - Hassan “King Noire” Salaam*

Credits

This episode was mixed and reported by Myra Flynn with help from associate producer James Stewart. Jane Lindholm edited this episode with help from James Stewart and Corey Dockser. Myra Flynn composed our theme music. All other music by Jay Green, King Noire and Blue Dot sessions. Zoe McDonald is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.

See you in two weeks for the next episode of Homegoings. As always, you are welcome here.

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