I am the first documented Social Scientist and Clinical Sexologist to conduct in-depth research into the sexual behavior and sexual practices of Black People in America, As a result of this research I theorize that the sexual practices of black people are virtually unknown because they are shrouded in myths, fairy tales and stereotypes developed over centuries by other races.
I am credited by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) with numerous groundbreaking theories with regard to: Sexuality, Sexual Behavior, Sexual Practices and Theory among Black Americans. In my Ph.D. dissertation I hypothesized that in the Ante-bellum South (the period prior to the civil war), and again during the Great Migration to the Northern states by many Southern Blacks, the fear of Black male sexuality and perceived sexual vibrancy caused white men to respond in a violent, sadistic manner. I posit that throughout American history, a patriarchal White dominated society has suffered from two primary societal disorders with regard to Black males and their sexuality. I am credited by that same organization with coining the term, “Fear of Continued Existence” to define the first.
As a result of my research I contend that in any patriarchal white dominated society there is an underlying dread by many white males of the perceived mathematical probability of genetic annihilation by black males. This trepidation, I maintain, is the root cause of much of the atrocities perpetrated on the black male by Europeans from the earliest interaction between the white women and the black male. Further, I posit that there is an underpinning of alarm that is inherent to any white patriarchal society as related to the transmission of dominant hereditary characteristics, such as color, from the parent organisms to their children.
This theory is not new and has been corroborated by many social scientists and psychiatrist; many, who cannot avoid the query concerning the requisite desire among white men during the Ante-bellum period to physically castrate the black man as a means of punishment when whites who commit the same, or worse crimes, even against members of their own race, never received similar punishment.
Dr. Francis Cress Welsing, a prominent Psychiatrist developed the 'Cress Theory of Color Confrontation'. This theory explores the practice of white supremacy and theorizes that during slavery, white men realized feelings of confirmed genetic inferiority as a result of the inherent genetic dominance and biological inheritance of darker skin over a genetic recessive state such as albinism.
In addition, according to noted scholar and intellectual Cornel West, in “The Cornel West Reader”, (1999) states, “White supremacy ideology is based first and foremost on the degradation of Black bodies in order to control them (and) “…the repeated castrations of lynched black men cry out for serious psycho cultural explanation.”
Gregor Johann Mendel, a German scientist, commonly called the father of genetics proved that the inheritance of traits follows particular laws. These proven tenants were later named after him and are known as ‘Mendelian Inheritance’. The theories of Mendelian Inheritance when integrated with the ‘chromosome theory of inheritance’ developed by American embryologist, Thomas Hunt Morgan were integrated and became the theoretical core of ‘Forward Genetics’. One theory is that pigment, or melanin, the substance that gives the skin its natural color, is genetically dominant in people of color. Dr Sheafe theorizes that beginning with American slavery and continuing into the 1950’s, many castrations were conducted by sadistic White males who harbored feelings of sexual inferiority and subsequently developed a hatred of the only symbol of Black dominance, the Black penis.
I further theorize that many racist individuals, after concluding that genetic dominance is literally transferred through the black penis in a sperm cell, which then joins an ovum to form a zygote, a single cell, with a complete set of chromosomes, which then eventually develops into a embryo of color, lashed out violently at the object of their consternation, the black man’s penis.
In basic terms, white genetic color cannot produce any other color but white, whereas black can produce endless colors as proven with the many skin complexions of humans throughout the world. In understanding the thought mechanism behind the castration of black men in the South, one can safety theorize that, in part, it was because the American concepts of slavery versus freedom since the Revolutionary War were predicated and enforced by the notion of skin color and by sexual cohabitation and the production of offspring, the perception by misinformed individuals was that the Caucasian race could be eventually annihilated genetically by individuals with dark skin. The contention then becomes this theory produced feelings of inferiority, fear and hatred within the patriarchal society in the Antebellum South and thru the 1950’s. One of my primary contentions is that, “Fear of genetic dominance is the basis of European preeminence dogma”.
The second term I am credited with is, “Osiris Envy”. Specifically, this would be described as a spiteful malice, resentment and fear of the virile sexual potency of black males by white men in a patriarchal society. I theorize that in most white patriarchal dominated societies there is an underpinning of alarm with regard to black male sexuality.
Lev Vygotsky, a Soviet developmental psychologist, states in Ape, Primitive Man, and Child: Essays in the History of Behavior, (1992) “The behavior of contemporary civilized man is the product not only of biological evolution or childhood development; it is also the product of historical development.” In my opinion, the historical development of the European in the world is not one of harmonious cohabitation with other races but instead is ripe with examples of forced imperialism and misdeeds perpetrated as a result of a foreboding sense of sexual inadequacy, cultural entitlement, fear of domination and a false point of view towards the supremacy of the European. Not to say that early childhood factors are not present in this behavior, to a large degree they are, but historically, the white patriarchal society is ripe with examples of treachery, dishonesty, and deceitfulness toward others of non-European descent; and unfortunately, all carried out in the name of Christianity. During slavery, Southern hypocrisy and feelings of latent sexual inferiority are clearly confirmed; hypocrisy that deliberately distorted the beliefs inherent in Christianity and inferiority that manifests itself through their actions. These societies of predominant religious hypocrites choose to distort Christianity for their own self-centered aims and sexual inferior notions. Another prime example would be the un-Christian-like treatment of the Native American. (Broken treaties, empty promises, forced sterilizations, etc) According to noted author, J. A. Rogers, in, From Superman to Man, (1996) “The doctrine of inequality is emphatically a science of white people; it is they who invented it.”
I further contend that significant measures of Sigmund Freud’s theories on penis envy were left unsound. Sigmund Freud, commonly referred to as “the father of psychoanalysis”, was a prominent Jewish-Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist. I contends that Freud failed to attend to the possibility of male-on-male penis envy. Accordingly, it becomes conceivable that self-doubting males within a given population could grow increasingly obsessed with feelings of latent sexual inferiority fueled by the popular myths and stereotypes perpetuated in that culture. As my research demonstrates, imbued in self-doubt, shrinking self-esteem and veiled homosexual desires, indeed non-Black males throughout history have manifested the same latent sexual tendencies posited in Freudian "Penis envy" supposition, which, I posits, inaccurately theorized only occurred in females. Further, I argue that the so called penis envy phenomenon is just as prevalent in males-of-males as Freud posited it is in females-of-males. As a direct result of these contentions, it becomes impossible to examine the sexual character and potency of Black sexuality without a prerequisite, in-depth exploration of the stigmatizing of difference along racial characteristics. For me, these two concepts are cardinal and indispensable.
I assert in my Ph.D. dissertation, “If an individual claims to have a basic understanding of physics, they should be able to explain why the planets revolve around the sun. If another professes an understanding of biology they should be able to give an explanation of nature’s basic theory of dynamic equilibrium or explain where babies come from, and, although chemistry does not have any single grand orthodox question, there are some everyday phenomena that an individual claiming general knowledge of that subject should be able to clarify. Thus, in order to even moderately seek to comprehend the complexities of black male sexuality, to reasonably aspire to understand the Black individual, or to even dimly undertake to dissect the mental processes and behavior involving the various spheres of conduct and human activity of both the oppressed ancestor of the modern African American and the earliest imperialist, colonizing European, it is inescapable that one have an inclusive grasp of racism and its effects on black sexuality. Black sexuality encompasses an origin of the many myths, stereotypes and folklore surrounding the broad range of sexual issues surrounding the extensive array of attitudes, issues, behavior and processes, including sexual identity, conduct and the social, cultural, anthropological, religious, spiritual, psychological and physiological aspect. Thus, in the same manner that the atom is the foundation upon which the most minimal scientific study of chemistry is built, racism is the initial platform on which the study of black sexuality must commence. In precisely the equivalent manner that the relationship between the atom and the subatomic particles of electron, protons and neutrons is unavoidable and compulsory and cannot be considered without the other, black sexuality cannot be accurately examined without a complete and comprehensive examination of European domination and racism.”
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Another significant contention is that a root explanation of the violent, sadistic behavior and bestial conduct demonstrated by certain members of the white patriarchal southern society during slavery, can be found in one primary Freudian theory, ‘The Thanatos’ or the death instinct. I hypothesize that this theory motivates people to use aggressive urges to destroy.
With regard to my attitude on many contemporary blacks in general and black males in particular, I theorize that the cerebral cortex, the portion of the brain that plays a central role in the ‘thinking process', of much of contemporary black America has been affected by a systematic generational loss of human dignity, systematic by design and generational by default. In my opinion, this has reduced entire generations to a vegetative mental and subsequently behavioral state. I coin the term, “Social Vegetation” to define this phenomena.
In my opinion, the societal-cerebral-cortex is the portion of the group psyche that has a vested interest when it comes to a sense of self-worth and human significance. Social Vegetation occurs when an individual, family, society, nation, entire generation or any related assembly has bought into, believes, but most of all, accepts the negative images, sexual and otherwise, placed on them by another group of individuals with ulterior motives.
In Summary
In my opinion, race and racism is the core, the crux and must be the focal points of any intelligent discussion on Black sexuality. I theorize that, based on historical documentation, the perceived libido, black-male-sexual-energy and vitality has always been a site of contention for certain peoples. Fear of black sexuality from ancient history forward is approached in my research as a discourse on sexual insufficiency, trepidation, malfunction and myriad underlying psychosis of the oppressing fraction. I posit that one of the roots causes of black-male-castration and lynching in the Ante-bellum south and afterwards is a latent attraction/jealousy between the sexual object, the white male, and the sexual aim, the black male. Furthermore, these lynching-castrations that were so prevalent throughout American history were mostly carried out by individuals who identify and model many behaviors and beliefs after a larger group of individuals with whom they identify, subsequently a form of group psychosis/paranoia developed. This social tendency to think in a group consciousness in humans is called the herding instinct, which when negatively applied, leads to the mob mentality.
Within the same boundaries and in the same way that the Alfred Kinsey findings were considered revolutionary, my research contains similar demarcations. My surveys (www.USAMensNetwork.com) & (www.USAWomensNetwork.com) focus primarily on black sexuality and the enveloping myths. To date, this has never been conducted; racism and myths as part in parcel with European generational sexual psychosis.
My sexual research endeavors to:
Explore the six intersections of:
- Sexuality, and the latent and core feelings of Patriarchal Southern societies feelings of inferiority and inversion (as defined by Freud: homosexuality)
- Fear and the subliminal European’s ‘Fear of continued existence.’
- Coping strategies and the underlying hatred of White oppression by African Americans
- Racism, against Blacks and the essential age-old fairy tale mythology of White superiority
- Mental genocide and the ‘generational post traumatic stress disorder disease’ as it relates to black sexuality (Reid, Omar, G., Sekou Mims & Larry Higginbottom, 2005)
- The role of religion and the traditional Black church’s response, as it relates to Black sexuality
I believe there is a need for this kind of research. Alfred Kinsey conducted a sexual survey on the sexual practices of white Americans and Canadians, and although he administered his survey to Negroes and other racial groups he did not include the results in his final data analysis.” Kinsey himself states in his 1948 work, Sexual Behavior In The Human Male “…we do not yet have enough histories of Negroes to warrant their inclusion in the analysis that have been made in the present volume.” Subsequently Kinsey data as it relates to the sexual practices of Blacks and other races are, by his own admission, invalid and inadmissible when researching those not contained in his study.
Dr Sheafe states, “Hopefully, it is from this work that contemporary society can begin the process of self-examination with regard to its projected negative stereotypical beliefs about Black men. From this point of origination dialogues may commence thus leading to a more honest and open comprehension of the unuttered fears and cultural miscomprehension surrounding Black sexuality and White sexual perceptions.”
Dr Sheafe has over 24 years of clinical experience in marriage counseling & family therapy. She specializes in: substance abuse treatment, drug addiction, sex therapy and couples counseling. She can assist with recovery from emotional, verbal, physical and drug abuse. Dr Sheafe is considered an expert on domestic violence and issues related to childhood trauma and porn addiction. She has worked with thousands of clients throughout the United States & Europe. She States, “I only have one goal in therapy, to help my clients help themselves!” She is called upon by litigators as an ‘Expert Witness’ for issues related to sexual trauma. She offers phone counseling or in-person visits for those living in South East Virginia. For complete information please visit: http://www.drsadiesheafe.com/telephoneconsultation.html or email her at
Sadie@Dr Sheafe.com. Most Insurance accepted.
Dr. Sheafe is a Board Certified Clinical Sexologist, American Board of Sexology Diplomate, and Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
She is certified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Currently, she serves as the Chairman, Virginia Legislative Committee: National Association Social Work, (NASW) and Virginia, Regional Representative for Hampton Roads, Virginia; Member, American Board of Clinical Sexologists and the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). She has been appointed to the Mental Health Advisory Council Board for the city of Portsmouth, Virginia and was elected to the State Board of Directors for NASW. She is currently the Chairman of the Department of Veterans Affairs Social Work Professional Standards Board, Virgina and an Adjunct Professor at Norfolk State University in the Doctoral and Masters Degree Programs for Social Work.
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