South African Sarah Baartman was a women activist in the 17th century and assaulted by whites over her big African booty “Venus Noire”
African exploitation by the whites started a long time with Europeans body shaming Africans.
Sara Baartman in history (1789-1815) was abused by Showman, Hendrik Cesars and Alexander Dunlop.
The South African lady was defiled, assaulted and despised just because she was voluptuous – big African booty.
She was used as a “freak show” for having a big butt due to her Khoi Khoi roots.
Big African booty during the colonial era
Later, the whites did a movie with her storyline. The “Venus Noire” movie sold many copies in France and England with people learning about the relationship between Africans and blessed back.
She was used for racist scientific research in France. The French government took her remains and flew her to South Africa. She was buried in South Africa in August 2002.
“She has become the landscape upon which multiple narratives of exploitation and suffering within black womanhood have been enacted,” wrote Gordon-Chipembere. She argued that, amid all this, Baartman “the woman, remains invisible”.