BLACK EFFECT is a song from Jay-Z's 2018 collaboration album EVERYTHING IS Love. Beyonc describes the quintessential Black female form in this track:
Sarah Baartman hips Sarah Baartman curls and your lips.
Sarah Baartman's features are celebrated, a departure from her historical image.
Saartjie Sarah Baartman, an African woman, was a sensation in objectification. Her large buttocks were mocked by spectators as she was paraded through Europe.
Celebrities like Beyonc have recognized Baartman's contributions to the ideal Black female physique, and the curvaceous posteriors celebrated on social media, I wanted to see how this ideal is perceived by the people who it most directly affects: Black women.
So I interviewed 30 Black women in South Africa and the mid Atlantic U.S. to find out about Baartman. Is her image a symbol of a past that was vilified or one that represents a canvas of strength? Did they feel proud or ashamed of having a similar body?
History and hips
Baartman, a Khoisan female from South Africa, fled her homeland in the 1800s to seek European asylum. It is not clear if she did so willingly or forced. She was exhibited by showmen throughout Europe where she was forced to perform before large crowds of white spectators.
Baartman, who was often naked, was frequently suspended on a stage in a cage while she was poked, prodded, and groped. Because of her protruding buttocks (steatopygia), she was described as gross, lascivious, and obscene. This was due to her body being grotesque, lascivious, and obscene. Her elongated labia was a derogatory term for a Hottentot-apron.
They became symbols of racial differences and were used as a way to show that other African women could be brought to Europe for entertainment. Baartman's features were made exotic because they differed so much from the dominant white female beauty ideals. Advertisements also referred to Baartman's curvaceous and voluptuous body as the perfect and most perfect example of her race.
Continue the story
Ideal Baartman
Black women's bodies are diverse; there isn't one perfect or monolithic type.
However, curvaceous ideals are more prevalent than ever in the United States.
It continues to be so today.
I interviewed Black women to find out how they felt about Baartman's story, how she compared to their bodies, and what her legacy means.
Ashley, an American participant, seemed to be able to see how deeply ingrained the Baartman ideal is.
She said that [Baartman] was the platform of stereotypes. These stereotypes have become a popular trend in pop culture, and she set the standard for Black women to have these figures.
Mieke, a South African lady, said she was proud of her body and how it is connected to Baartman.
Are you looking for empowerment or exploitation?
The Baartman body is a great tool today, especially for social media. It allows Black women to create content that is culturally and socially relevant to their audience and users, and makes it possible to make money from their posts.
Women can leverage their looks on various platforms to get paid ads or free merchandise, services, or gifts from various beauty and apparel businesses. Women who adhere to the modern Baartman ideal are more likely to attract wealthy suitors and gain more followers.
You could say that Black women are taking back control of their objectifications and commodification in order to make money. They are also protesting white mainstream beauty ideals, seizing Baartmans exploitation and mockery, and making her a source for pride and empowerment via places like Instagram, #BlackTwitter and OnlyFans.
However, Baartman's image is deeply rooted in slavery, unwillful submission, colonialism. Baartman's body was fetishized by whites as exotic and sexually explicit. This same white gaze also propagated the notion that Black women are sexually promiscuous, sexually lascivious, and hypersexual.
Baartman might not have been able keep the cash people paid to look at her, but today's Black women can work for their body and make money. Baartman's physique was once a victim to the insidious white gaze. These women can now be comfortable being objectified.
Is selling this body type always an act of empowerment? What if someone wasn't already exploited?
This could explain why Black women are so conflicted about Baartman today.
Lesedi, a South African, spoke out about this tension.
She said that there are girls like me, who don't like what they see in the mirror. They just feel like they need to get rid of it. She added that there are other girls who love it so much that they twerk. Sarah Baartman certainly has an influence. It doesn't matter if you are proud to be a bum.
Get the best of The Conversation every weekend. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
This article was republished by The Conversation, a non-profit news site that shares ideas from academic experts. Rokeshia Renn Ash, Florida International University wrote it.
Continue reading:
Rokeshia Renn Ash does not work for or consult any company or organization that could benefit from this article. She has also not disclosed any relevant affiliations outside of their academic appointment.
