{"product_id":"spectacle-the-astonishing-life-of-ota-benga-paperback","title":"Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003ePamela Newkirk\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2016 NAACP Image Award Winner\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinner of the 2016 Hurston\/Wright Legacy Award in Nonfiction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn award-winning journalist reveals a little-known and shameful episode in American history, when an African man was used as a human zoo exhibit--a shocking story of racial prejudice, science, and tragedy in the early years of the twentieth century in the tradition of \u003cem\u003eThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Devil in the White City\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eMedical Apartheid.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1904, Ota Benga, a young Congolese \"pygmy\"--a person of petite stature--arrived from central Africa and was featured in an anthropology exhibit at the St. Louis World's Fair. Two years later, the New York Zoological Gardens displayed him in its Monkey House, caging the slight 103-pound, 4-foot 11-inch tall man with an orangutan. The attraction became an international sensation, drawing thousands of New Yorkers and commanding headlines from across the nation and Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSpectacle\u003c\/em\u003e explores the circumstances of Ota Benga's captivity, the international controversy it inspired, and his efforts to adjust to American life. It also reveals why, decades later, the man most responsible for his exploitation would be hailed as his friend and savior, while those who truly fought for Ota have been banished to the shadows of history. Using primary historical documents, Pamela Newkirk traces Ota's tragic life, from Africa to St. Louis to New York, and finally to Lynchburg, Virginia, where he lived out the remainder of his short life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIlluminating this unimaginable event, \u003cem\u003eSpectacle\u003c\/em\u003e charts the evolution of science and race relations in New York City during the early years of the twentieth century, exploring this racially fraught era for Africa-Americans and the rising tide of political disenfranchisement and social scorn they endured, forty years after the end of the Civil War. Shocking and compelling \u003cem\u003eSpectacle\u003c\/em\u003e is a masterful work of social history that raises difficult questions about racial prejudice and discrimination that continue to haunt us today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNamed a Best Book of the Year by NPR, the \u003cem\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Root\u003c\/em\u003e, and the \u003cem\u003eHuffington Post Black Voices\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOta Benga, a young African man, was featured as an exhibit at the St. Louis World's Fair. Two years later, the New York Zoological Gardens displayed him in its Monkey House, caging him with an orangutan. The attraction became an international sensation, drawing thousands of New Yorkers and commanding headlines from across the nation and Europe. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSpectacle\u003c\/em\u003e explores the circumstances of Ota Benga's captivity and the international controversy it inspired. Using primary historical documents, Pamela Newkirk traces Ota's tragic existence, from the Congo to St. Louis to New York and finally to Lynchburg, Virginia, where he lived out the remainder of his short life. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003eSpectacle\u003c\/em\u003e simultaneously explores New York City during the early years of the twentieth century, a racially fraught era that led to a rising tide of political disenfranchisement and social scorn for African Americans.--\u003cb\u003eJames McBride, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Good Lord Bird\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNamed a Best Book of the Year by NPR, the \u003cem\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Root\u003c\/em\u003e, and the \u003cem\u003eHuffington Post Black Voices\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOta Benga, a young African man, was featured as an exhibit at the St. Louis World's Fair. Two years later, the New York Zoological Gardens displayed him in its Monkey House, caging him with an orangutan. The attraction became an international sensation, drawing thousands of New Yorkers and commanding headlines from across the nation and Europe. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSpectacle\u003c\/em\u003e explores the circumstances of Ota Benga's captivity and the international controversy it inspired. Using primary historical documents, Pamela Newkirk traces Ota's tragic existence, from the Congo to St. Louis to New York and finally to Lynchburg, Virginia, where he lived out the remainder of his short life. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003eSpectacle\u003c\/em\u003e simultaneously explores New York City during the early years of the twentieth century, a racially fraught era that led to a rising tide of political disenfranchisement and social scorn for African Americans.\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 336\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 8.2 x 5.3 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 06, 2016\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51978572169517,"sku":"9780062201027","price":20.18,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0938\/3185\/6429\/files\/j656OqCGGy9780062201027.webp?v=1775805895","url":"https:\/\/ishookbooks.com\/products\/spectacle-the-astonishing-life-of-ota-benga-paperback","provider":"iShook Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}