The tragic story of Sarah Baartman, a overlysexualised black woman

August 19, 2024

Sarah 'Saatjie' Baartman was born in 1789 to the Khoikhoi tribe in South Africa's Eastern Cape region. Baartman grew up on a colonial farm where her family most probably worked as servants. Her mother died when she was two years old and her father, who was a cattle driver, died when she reached adolescence.

At 16, Baartman got pregnant by a Khoikhoi man who was a drummer and they had one child together but the child died shortly after birth.

Soon after, she was sold into slavery to a trader named Pieter Willem Cezar, who took her to Cape Town where she became a domestic servant to his brother. It was during this time that she was given the name 'Saartjie', a Dutch diminutive for Sara.

Her life took a more tragic turn when she was taken away from her homeland under false pretences by a British Surgeon, William Dunlop. In October 1810, although illiterate, Baartman allegedly signed a contract with said surgeon, saying she would travel to England to take part in shows.

In London, Baartman attracted crowds who were fascinated by her huge backside, which was caused by a condition called "steatopygia" that was common among the Khoisan people.

Rachel Holmes, the author of The Hottentot Venus: The Life and Death of Saartjie Baartman, commented on this and said, "You have to remember that, at the time, it was highly fashionable and desirable for women to have large bottoms, so lots of people envied what she had naturally, without having to accentuate her figure."

In London, Sarah was given the stage name "Hottentot Venus." She was made to wear tight, flesh-coloured clothing, beads, and feathers, and was put on display for money. This dehumanising exhibition reduced her to a mere object of curiosity. Wealthy customers would pay for private displays in their homes where they were even allowed to touch her inappropriately.

Despite efforts by abolitionists and humanitarian campaigners to defend her, Baartman's employers were not convicted for holding her against her will. A history lecturer at Southampton University, Christer Petley, commented on this and said, "The question remains - was Baartman coerced, as abolitionist and humanitarian campaigners claimed, or was she acting on her own free will? If she was coerced, she might have felt too intimidated to tell the truth in court. We'll never know. The case is complex and the relationship between Baartman and her handlers was certainly not equally weighted, even if she had some element of choice or felt she could gain something - material or otherwise - from her performance."

After the court case, her exhibition lost popularity in London, so in 1814, she moved to Paris with a man named Cesars. In Paris, Baartman was given to an ‘animal exhibitor’ named Reaux, who exploited her even further.

She later agreed to be studied by scientists and artists, although she refused to appear fully naked, arguing that this was beneath her dignity.

Tragically, Baartman died at an early age of 26 due to illness, with possible causes including pneumonia, syphilis, or alcoholism.

One would think death was the end of being inhumanely treated but this wasn't the case with Baartman. After her death, her body was subjected to further indignity. Georges Cuvier, a naturalist, made a plaster cast of her body, dissecting and preserving her remains.

Her skeleton, brain, and genitals remained on public display in Paris's Museum of Man until 1974.

In 1994, the President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela requested the repatriation of Baartman's remains and Cuvier's plaster cast and in 2002, after years of advocacy and negotiation, the French government eventually agreed.

Baartman's remains were finally laid to rest in the Eastern Cape province.

Sarah Baartman's story is indeed a tragic one as it serves as a reminder of the exploitation, racism, and objectification that the African people have historically faced.

Quite interestingly, it is rather ironic that the very reason Baartman was exhibited like an animal years ago has now become a socially desirable norm among women today.

With some even going as far as undergoing surgery just to have those curvy hips and a big bum.

In recognition of Baartman's sad life, her story has been brought to the screen in a movie that depicts her life journey.

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