Black people in zoos?

Question

Don't worry this question isn't as racist as it might look.

I remember my gran telling me something totally crazy once..

She said that the first time she ever saw a black person was when she was in Germany before the second world war. Along with the elephants, giraffes etc were several families of black people that lived in the zoo in huts as an exhibit. At the time she thought nothing of it because she was young and living in nazis Germany (she was half Jewish and escaped to Britain before the war).

Just wondering if anyone else has heard of this before?

your question is a good one, I messed up, just reposted it in the right section.

My gran said that from what she could remember they were very small and looked like Pygmys. I don't think they went home at the end of the day, I think that was their home.

I found something interesting about a Pygmy called Ota Benga who actually live in Bronx zoo in New York in the primate house in the early 1900s.

and seriously, it wasn't racism on my grans part. She didn't think anything of it at the time because she was a child and no one had told her it was wrong. Being a Jew who was chased out of Germany and had her parents killed by the nazis she knows all too well about racism.

Also I just have to say that it's not a racist question on my part either, I hate all forms of racism more than anything. I realise it's a controversial question but i'm interested to find out if this was common back then.

and sorry once again for posting this in the food section!

Answer 1

Was that their undercover, protection using the zoo as a cover-up for protection. That's redundant, huh?

Answer 2

why is this in food? and you have to know that any way you put it, this does sound racist! i'm sure you wouldn't like it if someone asked about jews in zoos! let's just say that the nazis were probably screwed up enough to do it and whether or not it really happened, it most likely would have not been the worst they've ever done! unless, of course, they took them out of the zoo to work them to death or perfomr inhuman medical expirements on them

Answer 3

I think we should put black male criminals in a zoo and their ghetto mamas too if they are on public assistance. While the majority of blacks are upstanding citizens, about 20% of them ruin it for the rest and these blacks need to be caged up, photographed and displayed for the animals they are.

Answer 4

within the last 5 years england had humans on exhibit in a zoo . i think it was college kids. but they were white. and it was only like a couple of weeks or so.

Answer 5

You should have really considered black people's feelings on this before you typed it. But judging by the wrong category that you put it in and the title to the question you typed you probably have no feelings yourself.

Answer 6

This would be better off in the History section but /shrug.

Never heard of it myself, but it wouldn't surprise me. History focuses on the extermination of Jews by Hitler, but he persecuted and killed blacks, Gypsys, homosexuals, baiscally anyone who didn't fit his mold of "perfect".

Answer 7

She was kidding you!! Don't you think that if it was true that she would have told you about the Jew exhibit as well?

Answer 8

Tom has a point. No I never heard of it, but it were Germany at that time anything is possible.
do a search yourself!

Answer 9

I have a question, why is this in Food and Drink?

Answer 10

maybe she's just racist

but i think its really possible, with hitler...