Agassiz’s scientific racism rested on visceral disgust at Black bodies.

Evidence

Agassiz was singularly focused on perceived physical differences between whites and blacks. He had written, with a frightening lack of humanity, about being repulsed by Black people’s “thick lips and grimacing teeth, the wool on their head, their bent knees, their elongated hands, their large, curved nails, and especially the livid color of their palms.” — Tamara Lanier, From These Roots, 1062

Categorization

• SHARE: The direct quote of Agassiz’s repellent anatomical inventory is a vivid tidbit for anyone interested in the history of scientific racism.