Ota Benga

As part of the Mbuti pygmy people, Ota Benga lived in the Congo Free State. As he was out hunting for animals, his tribe was attacked by King Leopold II of Belgium to exploit the supply of rubber in Congo. Benga's wife and his two children were murdered. Benga was later captured and was sold to an American businessman Samuel Phillips Verner who had traveled to Africa to capture pygmies for the World Fair. Verner then took Benga to the Bronx Zoo where William Hornaday, director of the zoo, recruited Benga to help maintain the animal habitats. However, when he saw that people took more notice of Benga than the animals, he created an exhibition to feature Benga. Benga was placed in the Monkey House exhibit and was encouraged to shoot his bow and arrow at various targets.

Signed on the Monkey House

African Pygmy, "Ota Benga."Age, 23. Height, 4 feet 11 inches. Weight, 103 pounds. 

Brought from the Congo Free State by Dr. Samuel P. Verner. 

 

African Americans protested the exhibit and James H. Gordon said, “our race is depressed enough without exhibiting one of us with the apes. We think we are worthy of being considered human beings, with souls.” Toward the end of 1906, Reverend Gordon was given custody of Benga. Gordon arranged for Benga's relocation to Lynchburg, Virginia, where he lived with the family of Gregory W. Hayes. He received tutoring from poet Anne Spencer and began attending elementary school. Benga began working at a tobacco factory and created plan for his return to Africa. But in 1914, when World War I broke out, a return to the Congo became impossible. Benga became depressed that his hopes to return to his homeland was gone. On March 20, 1916, at the age of 33, he built a ceremonial fire, chipped off the caps on his teeth, and shot himself in the heart with a borrowed pistol. He was buried in an unmarked grave in the black section of the Old City Cemetery. 

Ota Benga at Edenkraal

https://poets.org/poem/ota-benga-edenkraal

Famous Cards

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