Saartjie Baartman and colonial capitalist obsession

Baartman’s story is a tragic tale of colonialism, and one of the more egregious examples of the West’s exploitation of black women’s bodies. Her body had value because it was considered exotic, like any other animal housed in a cage at the zoo. Baartman was likely the first African woman many Londoners had ever seen, and the circus display helped reinforce their ignorant notions of Africans’ inferiority and savagery.

Source: Who Is Saartjie Baartman, the “Hottentot Venus,” and Why Would Beyoncé Want to Play Her in a Film? ‹ Reader — WordPress.com