https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ7mmMe4klQ

When 20 year old Sara Baartman got on a boat that was to take her from Cape Town to London in 1810, she could not have known that she would would never see her home again. Nor, as she stood on the deck and saw her homeland disappear behind her could she have known that she would become the icon of racial inferiority and black female sexuality for the next 100 years.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SARA BAARTMAN is the fascinating story of this Khoi Khoi woman who was taken from South Africa, and then exhibited as a freak across Britain. The image and idea of "The Hottentot Venus" swept through British popular culture. A court battle waged by abolitionists to free her from her exhibitors failed.

In 1814 she was taken to France, and became the object of scientific and medical research that formed the bedrock of European ideas about black female sexuality. She died the next year. But even after her death, Sara Baartman remained an object of imperialist scientific investigation. In the name of Science, her sexual organs and brain were displayed in the Musee de l'Homme in Paris until as recently as 1985.

Using historical drawings, cartoons, legal documents, and interviews with noted cultural historians and anthropologists, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SARA BAARTMAN deconstructs the social, political, scientific and philosophical assumptions which transformed one young African woman into a representation of savage sexuality and racial inferiority.

Every time I see black women disrespecting themselves she's the first thing that comes to mind. There usually a sense of sadness after I think of her

She did not disrespect herself. She was abused by the white man and it is a shame when black men are the ones abusing our ladies.

That's not what I meant. I never said she disrespected herself. You misunderstood what I was saying.

I guess I misunderstood what you were trying to say.

What I was trying to say is that the struggle she went through is unfortunately a story that is unknown to many black women. So when I think about her life and the hardship she endured and think about how black women today disrespect themselves, it breaks my heart. When I watch music videos I can't help but wonder whether or not those women know her [Sara Baartman's] story.

I never knew who she was until I was the clip 2 days ago. It's so sad how black females degrade themselves. It was heart breaking watching Anderson cooper program about race where most black children wished they were white. I felt really sorry watching the clip. Even in death she was degraded until the SA government took her remains back home.

I learned about her last year but it wasn't through CNN. I did my own research and found out about her life and the struggles she endured. I knew a girl who made a documentary on black people and their desire to possess Eurocentric features [it was mostly about hair/race], and in the video she did the same doll test that Anderson Cooper did on CNN and of course she got the same results as Anderson Cooper and the original doll test from 1954 doll test. Sometimes I feel like the manner in which she was paraded around still transcends into the lives of women today. I've actually heard discussions and theories being thrown around about the exploitation of the black female body is in many ways a direct result of Sara Baartman's struggle.

you are too late sophy, sara is now a multi billion dollar industry. the machine has won (im serious)

@birdman

What machine are you talking about and how is she a multi billion dollar industry

Conditioning.

People need to wake up.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpBH_e519uY&feature=player_embedded

This is my first time ever hearing about and her story is really sad. Thanks for posting this.

Gamine:

Conditioning.

People need to wake up.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpBH_e519uY&feature=player_embedded

yep

sara is now a multi billion dollar industry. the machine has won (im serious)

you mean as per video vixens, rump shakers, etc?

clever way to distract victims someone.

tpiah:

you mean as per video vixens, rump shakers, etc?

clever way to distract victims someone.

@sophy, this^ is what I mean. The culture of objectifying black women is making lots of money for varied interests. No way they are going to let a cash cow die, plus it has sucesfully jumped the generational gap