2 Black History events that have relevance to today: Emmett Till and Saartjie Baartman.
This is Emmett Till’s story:
In 1955, Emmett Till,a 14 year old black boy, allegedly whistled at a white shopkeeper’s white wife. The shopkeeper and his half brothers the next day found Till, beat him up, tortured him, and murdered him. They did this to the point where Till’s face was unrecognisable and the only distinguishing feature was a ring he was wearing on his finger with his father’s initials. When the case was presented to the jury of 12 white men, the murderers were acquitted.
In 1956 the two men responsible for Till’s murderer admitted in an Look magazine interview that they had done it. (The interview paid them $4,000)
In 2004, his case was reopened.
In 2007, his autopsy was revealed (after a postmortem autopsy was done).
In 2015 it was revealed that the state of Mississippi (where Till was murdered) would open up a museum dedicated to him.
Many people believed that Till’s death is what sparked the American Civil Rights movement in Mississippi and over the nation.
This is Saartjie Baartman’s story:
Print caption: Les Curieux en extase, ou les cordons de souliers.(The Curious in ecstasy or shoelaces) c. 1815, Louis François Charon from here
Saartjie Baartman, sometimes referred to as “Sarah” Baartman was a Khoikhoi woman (natives of South Africa) who became the most famous woman, due to her large buttocks, in a human zoo exhibition in 19th century Europe. She was given the stage name “Hottentot Venus” Hottentot in reference to Khoi people (now offensive), and Venus as in the goddess of love.
Saartjie was taken from South Africa to London, England to a street called Piccadilly (now known as Piccadilly Circus) where “oddities” and people with “deformities” were exhibited. Saartjie’s curvaceous figure and dark complexion sparked high interest from many Europeans (all of whom were white, obviously). While “performing” she was put in a cage with little clothes on so that by passers could view her “full figure”.
After four years in London she was sold to a French man who exhibited her in France alongside baby rhinos. She was often ordered to sit and perform just as zoo keepers instructed zoo animals to perform. In this circumstance Saartjie was often fully naked but at times had nothing but a small cloth covering what she insisted should be culturally sacred.
In France she sparked a nationalist’s attention and he asked her French owner if he could study her as a “specimen”. The nationalist concluded from her that there was a link between animals and humans, more specifically of “her kind”.
At the age of 26 Saartjie died. The naturalist who had previously “studied” her, removed her body from the local police and dissected her. He then followed to remove parts of her brain and genitalia, and placed them in jars which were exhibited at the Musée de l'Homme (Musem of Man) until 1974.
Eight years after then President Nelson Mandela requested Saartjie’s body remains to be sent to South Africa, the French finally sent them back in 2002.
On August 9, 2002 day Saartjie was officially “buried” and this day has since been recognised as Women’s Day in South Africa.
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