Bronx Zoo's Distressing Exhibition of Ota Benga's Life

In the heart of the Congo Free State, a young African man named Ota Benga was born to the Mbuti Pygmies in the Ituri Forest. However, his life was forever changed when, as a teenager, his family was slaughtered during a war in the eastern Congo.

Ota Benga was later discovered by Samuel Phillips Verner, a missionary, in an agricultural village in the Congo Free State in 1904. Verner bought Ota Benga for a mere pound of salt and a bolt of cloth.

The Congo Free State, a personal property of King Leopold II of Belgium, descended into a nightmare of whippings, amputations, forced labor, and mass killings under his administration. The Force Publique, a Belgian-led occupying army, was responsible for raids, rapes, murders, and the collection of severed hands and heads during the colonial occupation. As many as 10 million Congolese were killed under King Leopold II during this period.

Ota Benga was later part of an exhibition at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. He was a hit among the crowd, often imitating the dancing and war-whoops of nearby American Indians. After the fair, Ota Benga traveled with Verner and returned to Africa for a time.

In 1905, Ota Benga took up residence with the Batwa tribe in Africa and married a woman from the tribe, but the marriage ended when his wife died from a snakebite. Upon returning to the United States in 1906, Ota Benga was housed at the American Museum of Natural History.

The highlight of his American stay came when he was displayed as part of the New York Anthropological Society's exhibit on human evolution at the Bronx Zoo. This controversial display sparked outrage from local black clergy who demanded Ota Benga's release and lobbied the governor to shut down the exhibit.

Despite the protests, Ota Benga remained in the monkey house for several weeks, living among the animals. This period marked a low point in his life, as he was held against his will in the United States.

Tragically, Ota Benga's life ended on March 20, 1916, when he shot himself in the heart. His life was shaped by colonial avarice and the quack science of eugenics, leaving a legacy of injustice that continues to resonate today.