African culture to be put on display in a German zoo

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

http://hiramhover.typepad.com/hiramhover/2005/06/german_zoo_to_p.html
June 08, 2005
German Zoo to Put Africans on Display

Via the BBC:

    German anti-racism campaigners have condemned plans to stage an
African cultural festival in a zoo.

    The event is intended to give residents in the town of Augsburg in
south Germany, a taste of Africa with craft sellers, drummers, story
tellers, music groups and food from around Africa.

    ...

    "People are upset by the idea of placing [the festival] in a zoo
between the baboons and the zebras," said Noah Sow, who founded Der Braune
Mob - an organisation that monitors race issues in the German media.

In response, a zoo official has said that the festival will be a cultural
exhibit "where you can see African products," and where "products are the
centre of attention, not the people."  The zoo also claims that other
cultural exhibits have been held at the zoo, but without detailing what
they were.

I've got no problem with a cultural exhibit, but for God's sake, hold it
somewhere else.  The symbolism of associating animals from Africa with its
people--or their cultural products--is so obviously degrading that I'm
astonished this is a conversation that even needs to be had.

UPDATE:  Another English-language press report is at scotsman.com.  The
issue has also been an active topic of discussion at H-Afro-Am, which
provides further links, including some to the German press (my link takes
you to the discussion logs for June, but I think there are at least 1-2
posts back in May as well).

UPDATE, Thursday, June 9:  Another account, from Deutsche Welle (in
English).  Today, btw, is the day the exhibit is scheduled to open, and zoo
officials insist the show will go on.

June 08, 2005 | Permalink

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