Answer to Question #271040 in History for Constance Dineo Ma

Question

Discuss how Sarah Baartman became a symbol of ideas of race held by Europeans in the 19th century, and how this promoted racial and gender discrimination.

Answer 1

Sarah Baartman was a Khoisan woman from South Africa. Sarah had a condition called steatopygia which caused her buttocks to protrude. During the 1800s Sarah left her motherland for Europe without clear information whether she went willingly or was forced to go. In Europe, Sarah was faced with embarrassing and inhuman treatment by white people for forcing her to sing and dance naked before the public consisting of white people for them to be entertained. therefore she becomes a symbol of ideas for white people. As a result, many African women were captured and transported to Europe for white entertainment because of their ability to diverge from the dominant ideas of white feminine beauty. Thus promoting racial and gender discrimination.