The New Sarah Baartman: It's a Man's World

This post is inspired by Black Supremacy Love N Unity 

It's been a long time coming! I would have liked to do some more research on this story but I did not get around to do so. But if you have not viewed the video (also posted on my Facebook) awhile ago, here is a brief description on who Sarah "Saartijie" Baartman a.k.a. Venus Hottentote. Sarah was a slave from Africa who's body was exploited and exhibited to Europe and given the label as a freak. She was the guinea pig to European research about black female sexuality and anatomy. Seen as profitable to her exhibitors and slave to abolitionists, Sarah lived her life with the label of a freak. For why? Because she was black, a female, and because of her body.

  

But I did not make this post about Sarah. No. I made this posts about the new Sarahs, the Sarahs living today.

   

And pictures, just like these and more,  are displayed everywhere: in the media, on social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, it's on television and in magazines. Pictures similar to these may float in your inbox or in a friend's album. Is this the norm now? Does this make it right?

Just as the publisher of the blog "Black Supremacy Love N Unity" stated, her story isn't talked about much. And although she did not choose slavery or to even be exhibited to researchers, we have more freedom now. Freedom to pick the clothes we wear on our backs, the food we put in our stomachs, and the make-up we paint on our faces.We do this for the opposite reason Sarah Baartman was represented as but did not like, to receive attention and to be looked at, seen, by our guy friends and by our society's  twisted, non-realistic expectations of how a woman should be or look. We, just like her oppressors,  want the fame and the money to become "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills", "Bad Girls Club", or what ever "reality" television shows that may portray an unrealistic view of real women. Wasn't Sarah's struggles enough? Did Sarah not represent the fact that women (especially black women) were seen as sexual objects? Place yourself in Sarah's shoes...

If Sarah had the choice and freedom like we have today, do you think Sarah would be satisfied painting on make-up and picking out her own clothes to please other people? How do you think Sarah would feel, act, think, and behave? In my opinion, I think Sarah would believe that her body is her temple; her choice to save herself for the one she loves and not to share it with the whole world. Let's face it, doing so does NOT give you justification or self-esteem. You confuse yourself once you do live to society's expectations and continuously have internal conflicts with your true self and your painted self. I would call this the "The Male Gaze Effect". As I said before, The Male Gaze is that in which you see on TV, sexy, dumb women (skinny, at that) seducing or being provocative towards a man. But back to Sarah.... Sarah had no choice in doing so. In fact, I'm guessing Sarah did not have a special man in her life and I'm hoping she was not a victim to rape culture (not specified) because of her image as a sexual object or exhibit to men. Is that what you want, woman? Is this what is striven for in our society?

I say all of this to say, love yourself for who you are. Remind yourself of Sarah when you look in the mirror. Be grateful for the curves God gave you and the choices and freedoms you have. You, woman, have the greatest power and strength on this Earth. Like Sarah, we make men money, we make them strong, and we are the ones pushing them forward. Where would they be without us? It's a Man's World... no, it's our world and it's about time all women know and believe that. No more Ms. Sarah Baartman.

R.I.P. Sarah

Recently while on Instagram, two of my followers have posted something regarding to "New" Sarah Baartman. Is my timing perfect or what?

Amen.

always,

AMC