A Different Type of "Swinger's" Party : Mandingo Sex Parties

What it is & the Social Issues They Raise

I was listening to talk radio one morning and the topic was something I'd never heard of before: Mandingo Sex Parties.

"Mandingo" Defined

The word Mandingoinhabited a large area of the upper Niger River valley of western Africacomes from Mandinka, a West African tribe that

In the antebellum South, the Mandinka were prized slaves and bred for their strength and virility. 

Mandingo is commonly used nowadays to describe black male sexual prowess.

What are Mandigo Sex Parties

Mandingo sex parties are couple's' swing parties whereby black men are hired to have sex with white women. Usually, it's the husband of the women who hire them.

The role of the husband? To watch, and sometimes direct, the interludes.

What Does It Take to Be a Mandingo?

According to the blog, The Provocateur, the qualifications for being a mandingo are as follows: "They have to be able to role-play, and most important of all, they have to be gentlemen. . . . most have a college degree." Certain physical attributes are also necessary.

Surprisingly, most of the black men who participate in this lifestyle are professionals by trade, and many are ex-military. Their reasons for participating vary from the no-strings-attached physical pleasuer, to personal gain, to a preferred attraction for white women.

The Partygoers

So, who are the couples who hire these men? Many are middle- to upper-middle class couples. They run the gamut from business owners, judges and retired professionals, to school teachers, lawyers and firemen.

The Attraction Factor: According to the article, "Meet the Mandigos," by Sanjiv Bhattacharya "[The] women resemble Kathy Bates more than they do Kathy Ireland," and "Watching the Mandingos in action, one immediately notices . . . that they're better-looking than the women they're [with]."

Social Questions Raised by Mandingo Sex Parties

Sex and race is always a combustible combination, which leads to several broader societal issues, eg: