An Analysis of the Writings on African Women
Background of Sarah Baartman
Sarah Baartman was in the year 1789. She was of South African descent and KhoiSan language specifically (Parkinson, 2016). Her native home, Eastern Cape, was very peaceful until the arrival of Europeans in the year around the same year, Sarah was born (Parkinson, 2016). The Dutch disrupted the friendly atmosphere, as the men of KhoiSan were involved in warfare. Women were left to defend themselves when the men got engaged in guerrilla wars.
The San, which was another small community within the same region, were often victimized by the KhoiSan. Their existence was nearly taken away by the KhoiSan, who mocked them. The warfare at the period presented tough times for Sarah Baartman, who hoped for a better future. The uncertainty of the situation led to her capture as a slave.
Sarah Baartman worked in various fields. She was involved in the construction of roads and buildings. The proceedings led to her contracted capture by Peter Cezar, where she continued working as a domestic worker (Parkinson, 2016). The Dutch view of African women at the time was demeaning. They had a particular interest in Khoisan women because of their body physique. Hendrick Cezar decided to take custody of Sarah Baartman.
A three-month journey by ship saw Sarah arrive in England, where she was exposed to more humiliation. Commonly referred to as “Hottentot Venus,” Sarah was caged and presented for exhibition (Parkinson, 2016). In 1810, England had already abolished slave-trade, although the life of Sarah was that of slavery. Henry Taylor took her to Paris, later selling her to an animal trainer, Reaux. She lived in poverty and died in 1815 at the tender age of 25 years.
Description of the Women
The four women are identified as symbols of African women’s victimization and degradation by the Europeans and Americans. The language used is disrespectful of African women. In all the descriptions, the physique comes out more prominently. In Sarah’s case, it is about her breasts and genitalia (Gordon, 2011), which the British thought of to be larger. Caster Semenya is victimized on bases of her strength, portraying her as a man. Michelle Obama’s unexpected rise to the top leads to the factions of Americans to depict her as a subhuman. Serena Williams’s loss in a tournament is used against her when she protests against sexism.
The similarities do not end there. All the descriptions use contextual language to explain more details about the women. Sarah’s story is related to the British regime that was the epitome of “freak shows” and slavery. In the 21st Century, Caster Semenya is subjected to an array of tests by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) to determine her gender (The Gaurdian, 2019). The context represents oppression by the Western people. Michelle’s editorial cartoon contextualizes the events that happened to Sarah Baartman in depicting her body.
In contrast to Sarah’s description, some of the statements in Michelle and Caster’s stories are founded on personal judgment. Sarah’s classification is based on historical events that took place during the 18th century. It is evident from the tone used in the writings. In Serena and Caster’s case, there are attempts by authors to correlate the mistreatments with that Sarah Baartman. Michelle’s victory in the presidential election invites attention from the media, which the authors opine to be similar to that of Sarah Baartman. The two scenarios represent the views of the writers in describing women.
Description of Sarah Baartman and Mitchelle Obama
Michelle is described as a strong woman who owns her body. She is exemplified as a woman who fights back at her oppressors by acting. The metaphoric language in Michelle’s description reveals the harassment she went through from the American media. Her achievements are mentioned in part, as many people did not take notice of her personality (Gordon, 2011). Obama’s story is subject to sexism and feminism. The main propagators of racial discrimination towards Michelle are the media whose intention is to create controversy.
Social factors cloud the description of Michelle. The discussion around her body is narrowed pornographic pervasion. While her body was initially made fun of, the adoration is in equal measure (Gordon, 2011). The language used in Sarah Baartman, in comparison to that of Michelle, bears a resemblance in the metaphoric tone used to depict their bodies. In both cases, the print media creates a mockery of their physical features and dressing.
The difference lies in the symbolic representation of an African woman. Unlike Michelle, Sarah was not able to fight back was an embodiment of slavery among the British. Her silence was mostly taken advantage of by the wealthy. Moreover, her body did not, at any one point, get the praise that Michelle got. Instead, she was compared to an orangutan and viewed as a “freak.”. At a time when Africans were less educated, the mention of feminism in Sarah’s story doesn’t exist. It is because of this reason as well that vulgar language is more conspicuous in Sarah’s description vis a vis Michelle’s.
Description of Serena Williams and Sarah Baartman
In the process of making known the effects of the effects of sexism, Serena Williams is met with a demeaning response from the media. For her, the story is of ridicule and backlash from both social and print media. Her body is made fun of in an editorial cartoon showing her lips to be extra-large. Additionally, the crude caricature demonstrates her as jumping up and weeping, having lost a tournament to a Japan athletic (Newman, 2018).
Serena Williams, whose racist iconography does not take notice of her past success can be viewed as the new shift in racial discrimination. Her treatment is evidence of black woman exploitation. The intention of print and social media in Serena William’s case was to silence and marginalize her. Women of African descent are subject to these reminders that depict slavery and sexism. Nevertheless, Serena chose to fight back (Newman, 2018) at her oppressors in an attempt of regaining her freedom and making a statement.
In comparison with Sarah Baartman, the similarity lies in the harassment they both got from the media. However, for Serena, it was more noticeable because the two forms of media were used. Sarah’s coerced participation in exhibitions to please the British shows she’s similarly weak. Her cartoon drawing shows her crying in defeat—the difference between the two lies in the response. Serena opted not to remain silent while Sarah was accepted the chastening treatment. Moreover, Sarah faced direct humiliation from the Europeans; for Williams, it is rather indirect.
Description of Caster Semenya and Sarah Baartman
Caster Semenya gains recognition in the athletic arena while still considerably young. Caster’s story gains momentum because of her physical stature (Mahomed et al., 2019). The harassment is so direct that she is required to take a test to determine her gender. It follows that Semenya’s domination in the athletics field does not augur well with European correspondents. Her competitors did not also fear to point out that she is not an ordinary woman by compelling the press to have a glance at her physical attributes.
There is a similarity to Sarah Baartman, who faced direct criticism over her body, more specifically her genital anatomy and buttocks. The resemblance also takes shape in the manner in which they were exposed, full glare of the public. In Paris, the body of Sarah was the talk of the town, with many eagerly waiting to have a touch. It was the same case for Semenya, whose body was the topic of discussion in many European countries (Mahomed et al.,2019).
Additionally, the two women chose to remain quiet about the victimization by the Europeans. Although they both faced criticisms over their body, for Sarah, it was more of curiosity than hatred. Semenya was widely viewed as a competitor that posed a threat to other athletics, but for Sarah, it was mostly about her not resembling a normal human being. According to the British, she was a case of study in establishing the point from which a person stops being called a human being.
Summary and Conclusion
The language used to describe African women is provocative and demeaning to society in general. Defining women based on their race as a form of sexism still exists today, as revealed by the stories. The perception that African women do not have a voice in society has aggravated the situation. An African woman is taken advantage of because of her gender or education. In most instances, they are viewed as weak creatures rather than fellow human beings who deserve equal rights.
Women continue to bear the brunt of racist attacks and gender-based violence. The treatment of the women described bears a resemblance to Sarah Baartman’s mistreatment that happened two centuries ago. Slavery, female exploitation, and racisms remain alive in the world currently. However, improvements are being made on some of the ideologies, as many women are now taking up leadership roles. Sexism is now discouraged in most countries, and gender equality highly encouraged. The position of an African woman in society can make much progress if they get the necessary support.
References
Gordon-Chipembere, N. (2011). Under Cuvier’s microscope: The dissection of Michelle Obama in the twenty-first century. In Representation and black womanhood (pp. 165-180). Palgrave Macmillan, New York.
Mahomed, S., & Dhai, A. (2019). Global injustice in sport: The Caster Semenya ordeal-prejudice, discrimination and racial bias. SAMJ: South African Medical Journal, 109(8), 548-551.
Newman, B. (2018, September 11). Perspective | The long history behind the racist attacks on Serena Williams. Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/09/11/long-history-behind-racist-attacks-serena-williams/
Parkinson, J. (2016). The Significance of Sarah Baartman. BBC News Magazine, 7.
Sport, G. (2019, May 01). How the Caster Semenya controversy has unfolded since 2009 – a timeline. Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/01/how-caster-semenya-controversy-unfolded-since-2009-timeline