Racism In Human Zoos

Throughout the history of mankind racism has been embedded in our culture in numerous forms. One sad form of racism which has been a focal point for historians was that of 'Human Zoos'. These 'zoos' first began in the early nineteenth century all the way to the twentieth and consisted of colonizers believing that they were superior to others. These were highly controversial exhibitions featuring mainly the indigenous who were being put on display for people to go and look at, however the lines between what is human and what is animal soon became blurred. It could be said that they were highly successful and popular due to the fact that many of these western audiences found it to be something different and interesting, but, it does not take away the fact that these human beings who were being locked up in cages were being humiliated for having different skin colour, and these so called abnormal features. It also has to be pointed out that many westerners were 'manipulated into a belief in the inequality of races'1 not necessarily brought up with them.

Human zoos in the late nineteenth and early
The show included reenactments of wars and traditional dances causing the audience to believe that these were wild animals. The show also caused quite a stir as women were not allowed to enter the venue for supposedly touching the natives, however, many historians claim that the largest exhibition ever staged in Britain was the 1924 British Empire Exhibition at Wembley, where colonial displays were set up including human zoos. Exhibits by this time had become extravagant and something to be proud of, this is evident by looking at the British Exhibition and realising that it was opened by King George V showing us that everyone wanted to get in on the act. By the 19th century there was absolutely no shame or reluctance to talk about