In Jesmyn Ward’s memoir, Men We Reaped (2013), dead bodies tell the story of what it means to be Black in the U.S. South. Ward’s memoir articulates the racist body politics that is responsible for the five men’s deaths. “Body politics” is a concept that refers to the political power exercised over individuals through their bodies based on physical features. By telling their individual stories and identifying the greater narrative that connects them, Ward turns the deaths into a matter of public concern. Thus, Men We Reaped becomes ‘conversational territory.’ It is an empowering medium and a place for cultural critique from which to push back against the discrimination and marginalization of Black people in the South.

Keywords: Jesmyn Ward; Men We Reaped; body politics; U.S. South; slavery