Title: Exploitation and Implications of the "Human Zoo"
Introduction:
The 20th century witnessed numerous instances of human exploitation that highlighted the deep-seated racism and dehumanization of non-white individuals. Two notable cases of such exploitation are the stories of Ota Benga and the Jicarilla Apache Nation exhibited at the Bronx Zoo and Denver Zoo, respectively. These events serve as poignant reminders of the pervasive nature of systemic racism and its enduring impact on marginalized communities.
Ota Benga's Exploitation:
Ota Benga, an African pygmy from the Congo, was forcefully taken from his homeland and brought to the United States to be exhibited at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. Sold by an American missionary who had acquired him through exploitative means, Benga was put on display without any compensation. After realizing the extermination of his tribe, Benga felt displaced and chose to return with the missionary to the U.S. Subsequently, he became an exhibit at the Bronx Zoo, where thousands of people flocked daily to witness his captivity and engage in voyeuristic entertainment.
The Bronx Zoo's Role:
William Temple Hornaday, the director of the Bronx Zoo, perpetuated Benga's exploitation by using him to maintain the elephant enclosures. Realizing the financial potential of exhibiting Benga, Hornaday capitalized on the curiosity and racist attitudes of the visitors. Benga's exhibition as a spectacle, often displayed in a cage or performing odd tasks, perpetuated the narrative of racial superiority, emphasizing the inherent dehumanization of non-white individuals.
Movement towards Freedom:
Due to the efforts of Black ministers and activists, the exhibit at the Bronx Zoo was eventually closed, and Benga was released. However, his life post-release was marked by difficulties as he was moved from place to place, residing with different families who attempted to "educate" him and integrate him into society. Tragically, Benga's struggles ultimately led him to take his own life in 1916.
Denver's Exploitation of the Jicarilla Apache Nation:
The Denver Zoo also participated in the exploitative practices of the era. In 1900, the zoo exhibited the Jicarilla Apache Nation, referred to as the "Wild Apaches," as part of an encampment in City Park. Newspaper articles from that time elucidate the perspectives of the era, where the Apaches were treated as curiosities to be gawked at and exoticized. The portrayal of their encampment on a float in a lake reflects the deeply dehumanizing mindset of the spectators.
Legacy and Implications:
These instances of human exploitation within the context of "Human Zoos" were predicated on preconceived notions of superiority and inferiority, contributing to the development of scientific racism. These practices allowed for the perpetuation of systemic racism and the marginalization of non-white individuals. Issues such as eugenics and pseudoscience racism stemmed from these exploitative practices, further entrenching discriminatory ideologies that persist to this day.
Conclusion:
The exploitations of Ota Benga and the Jicarilla Apache Nation at the Bronx Zoo and Denver Zoo respectively, serve as painful reminders of the systemic racism prevalent during the 20th century. These events highlight the dehumanization and objectification of non-white individuals for the entertainment and amusement of the white majority. Acknowledging and understanding these past atrocities is crucial to dismantling the systemic racism that continues to affect marginalized communities, while working towards a more equitable and inclusive society.
can you right up an essay based on this info:
One of the most infamous exploitations of an individual involves a young man named Ota Benga. In 1904, an American missionary and explorer was hired by the St. Louis World’s Fair to “acquire” an African pygmy to the fair for exhibition. Benga, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Belgian Congo, a colony of Belgium), was purchased by the missionary from the Baschelel tribe for “several bags of salt and a spool of brass wire,” according to an interview with the missionary’s grandson, likely at a slave market (another product of colonization).
After being exploited at the fair without pay, the missionary returned Benga and other captured African Pygmies to their home. But when he discovered that all members of his tribe had since been killed, Benga did not feel at home and asked to return with the missionary to the U.S.
Ota Benga
Subsequently, William Temple Hornaday, then Director of what is known today as the Bronx Zoo, inquired with the missionary if he could exploit Benga to maintain the elephant enclosures. Over time, Hornaday discovered that people were coming to see Benga and thought that exhibiting Benga would be a great opportunity. It is reported that up to 40,000 people came to the zoo every day to see Benga in a cage or doing the odd task.
Through the efforts of a group of Black ministers, the Bronx Zoo closed the exhibit and Benga was released. He was moved to Brooklyn and then Lynchburg, Virginia where a number of families housed him, and tried to "educate" him and lead a "normal" life.
In March of 1916, Ota Benga ended his own life.
Over 100 years later, the Wildlife Conservation Society, which manages the Bronx Zoo, issued an apology.
Such exploitations were pervasive, even in Denver.
In 1900, the Denver Zoo was four years old. Owned by the City of Denver, it occupied a corner of the newly established City Park and exhibited a small collection of local hoof stock, birds, and other furry mammals—stitched together by delicate fences and simple cage-work.
That year, the city brought members of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, referred to as the “Wild Apaches,” to City Park. The emerging zoo served as a backdrop for their encampment.
City Park in 1900 included exploitative exhibits of Native American tribes (Credit: History Colorado)
The History Colorado Stephen H. Hart Research Center was able to help Rocky Mountain PBS uncover articles from the time to provide more information.
From Rocky Mountain News (Credit: History Colorado)
According to newspaper articles, a Colonel C. E. Ward was recruited to “obtain permission for a band of the warlike Apaches to visit Denver.” For nine days, the “party of twenty Apaches” gave “exhibitions of village life” at City Park.
Further, one article stated, “weirdness will be added to the latter by having it done on a big float out in the lake.”
The perceptions rooted in the concept of the “Human Zoo” survive today. From human safaris to referring to Black, Indigenous, and people of color as “exotic,” whiteness continues to be centered, oppressing anything deemed other. This concept would pave the way for eugenics and pseudoscience racism.
Preconceived ideas about “civilized versus savage” people—the animalization of people—would help shape scientific racism, just one insidious operation of systemic racism that persists today.
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