← Home
99% Invisible · August 7, 2026 · 00:37:50

100 Objects #12: "Negro Cloth"

Roman Mars and historian Seth Rockman examine 'Negro cloth' — a textile category defined solely by who wore it, not by its material properties. The episode reveals how racial identity was embedded into everyday commerce through this hollow category, showing that the cloth's sole defining feature was its association with enslaved people.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Highlights

A textile defined by the wearer, not the weave
Historian Seth Rockman explains that 'Negro cloth' was a category of textile defined by nothing but who it was worn by — enslaved people — with no reference to its material or quality.
Was this useful?