Ota Benga: The African Man Who was Caged in a Zoo

Human history is speckled with numerous events and situations that would shock, humiliate, and sicken any human being with normal levels of intelligence. Most of these events, however, are unacknowledged by those in power: these events are not described in history books, nor are they discussed in most philosophic, social, or revolutionary circles. The current system has interest in keeping them from the public eye as much as possible. Yet these are events and situations that demand discussion, acknowledgement, and consideration. They give us a glimpse into the realities of this system - what it has done and what it is capable of doing. One such situation is the story of Ota Benga - an African who was brought to America and caged in a zoo, and how Darwinism, the theory of natural selection, racism and the media rationalized and promoted the inhumane and derogatory treatment of the intelligent African man.

The story of Ota Benga begins with heartache. He was what some call "pygmies" - a bushman of the Congo. He was a forest dweller, and lived quietly with his people. Ota was a hunter, like most men of his tribe. It was when Ota returned to his camp after killing an elephant that he discovered that his wife, children, and family had been murdered and mutilated, and his camp had been plundered and destroyed by the Force Publique, the ruthless enforcers of Belgian interest in the Congo. Ota was then forced into captivity, taken to a strange village, and sold into slavery.

Meanwhile, in the "Western" world, Darwin's theory of evolution was taking the European societies by the hand and leading them further into racism and bigotry. Samuel Philips Verner, enchanted with the theory and wanting to make a name for himself, came first to Africa as a missionary, bringing the so-called "light" of Christianity to those who supposedly needed it, and later returning with the goal of acquiring "Pygmies" to display at the St. Louis Fair. Ota, having been bought from his slave masters for five dollars, was one of the Africans who came to the United States with Verner.

The St. Louis Fair presented Ota and the other Africans as a primitive people who lived in huts. They were displayed, along with members of about fifty Native American Tribes (including the prisoner of war, Geronimo), Eskimos, and natives of Japan, Greenland, and others, as part of the evolutionary cycle. Ota and his fellow Africans were tested, poked, and prodded: did they feel pain? How big were their heads? Were they as intelligent as mentally-challenged Americans? Spectators saw Ota, his brothers, and the other indigenous peoples at the Fair as less than human: they poked fun at their lifestyles, intrusively took photo after photo, and even burned them with lit cigarettes. The "hospitality" shown by the Europeans and Americans to the indigenous people of the world clearly expressed their ignorant and racist attitudes, and is the complete opposite of the honor given to Verner upon arriving in the African bush (he was carried in a hammock, was met with drums, dance and song, etc.)

After the St. Louis World Fair ended, most of the indigenous visitors were returned to their homes, including Ota and the other Africans. Ota soon remarried, but his new wife died shortly after their marriage. Ota was once again left alone, and Verner decided, once again, to bring him to America. Verner, who was still striving to make a name for himself, brought many African artifacts, spiritual items and animals, hoping to sell them to museums, collectors, and zoos. Verner also had to "place" Ota Benga; he was "placed" in the New York Bronx Zoo.

Ota wandered through the zoo much like a tourist in his early days at the Bronx zoo. Yet his "free" days were numbered, as the zoo officials had other ideas on the fate of the small African man. Soon he was encouraged to spend his time in the monkey cages. Shortly after, Ota was locked in the monkey cage and put on display for all to see.

It seems incredible. We don't want to believe that such a thing could have happened. Today, if we take our children to a zoo, those of us with an ounce of morality feel sad for the animals imprisoned in the tiny cages, pacing back and forth out of boredom and frustration. Yet less than one hundred years ago, a human being was placed inside these same cages. Ota Benga was somebody's son; he was somebody's husband; a father; and he was a friend. And he was caged in the New York Bronx Zoo.

The system used Darwin's theory of evolution to promote the idea that Ota was a "missing link" and was "less human" than the hoards of white people rushing to get a glimpse of him. He was constantly compared with the monkeys with which he shared a cage, and was seen as the "most primitive human being". They said that Ota, and those like him (Black, African, "Pygmies", etc.) were very closely related to monkeys and were neither intelligent nor capable of learning. The pressing question regarding Ota Benga was: Is Ota Benga a man, or is he the highest ape? The scientists, media, officials, and citizens theorized that since Ota was black, short, and "comfortable in the trees" like monkeys, he and his people were the least developed of the human species (if he was indeed human). Europeans, then, were obviously the most developed, since they had white skin, the ability to reason and tell time, etc.

The media, of course, had a field day with the story of Ota Benga: "It is probably a good thing that Benga doesn't think very deeply. If he did it isn't likely that he was very proud of himself when he woke in the morning and found himself under the same roof with the orangoutangs and monkeys, for that is where he really is," wrote the New York Times on Sunday, September 9th, 1906.

"As for the boy being exhibited in a cage, it was done simply for the convenience of the thousands of people who wanted to see him. We have no platform that we could place him on, and this big open air cage was the best place we could find to put him where everybody could see him. Why, we are taking excellent care of the little fellow and he is a great favorite with everybody connected with the zoo. He has one of the best rooms in the primate house," as quoted by the New York Globe, Monday September 10th, 1906. Note that Ota is referred to as a "boy" (Ota Benga, at the time of his imprisonment in the zoo, was 23 years old).

"As for Benga himself, he is probably enjoying himself as well as he could anywhere in his country, and it is absurd to make moan over the imagined humiliation and degradation he is suffering. The pygmies are a fairly efficient people in their native forests with enough intelligence to be successful hunters and to secrete themselves from hostile - that is, other tribes, but they are very low on the human scale..." New York Times, September 11th, 1906.

"There were 40,000 visitors to the park on Sunday. Nearly every man and woman and child of this crowd made for the monkey house to see the star attraction in the park - the wild man from Africa. They chased him about the grounds all day, howling, jeering, and yelling. Some of them poked him in the ribs, others tripped him up, all laughed at him." New York Times, September 18, 1906.

The story of Ota Benga leaves a deep wound on our hearts. These historical events are ones that have been virtually hidden from public consciousness, yet these are the ones that need to be opened and discussed. The deep wounds that we have been carrying will not heal until we come together and acknowledge these horrors and the anguish they have left on humanity.