From: Joel Sax <jsax@igc.org>
Newsgroups: alt.discrimination
Date: 12 Apr 92 11:08 PDT
Subject: SPAIN: STUFFED BLACK MAN IN MUSEUM
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1522100003:000:4199
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!jsax    Apr 12 11:08:00 1992


From: Joel Sax <jsax>
Subject: SPAIN: STUFFED BLACK MAN IN MUSEUM

/* Written 12:48 pm  Mar 13, 1992 by pnmideast in cdp:gen.racism */
/* ---------- "SPAIN: STUFFED BLACK MAN IN MUSEUM" ---------- */
From: <pnmideast>
Subject: SPAIN: STUFFED BLACK MAN IN MUSEUM 

/* Written  6:14 pm  Mar 12, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "SPAIN: STUFFED BLACK MAN IN MUSEUM " ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: SPAIN: STUFFED BLACK MAN IN MUSEUM CAUSES SCANDAL


by pablo azocar

madrid, mar 9 (ips) -- controversy has broken out over the
presence -- amidst the drums, spears, stones and other exotic
african objects -- of a stuffed black man standing inside a
showcase in the darder municipal museum in banolas.

alfonso arcelin, a spanish doctor of haitian descent who
considers the case ''an offense to the black race and to human
beings,' has begun a crusade to make authorities remove the
stuffed man from the museum.

however, despite the fact that arcelin has sent dozens of
letters to spanish authorities in the last two months, he has had
no success. the stuffed black man continues on display, just as he
has since he was put in the museum in 1916.

the case, which broke into controversy in december in cataluna,
acquired diplmatic implications when the indirect intervention of
botswana was announced.

but an official commission from banolas, a city of 15,000
residents -- 500 whom are african -- unanimously agreed that it
was ''essential'' to keep the figure in the museum because it
forms part of the city's patrimony.

''it is increadible that at the end of the twentieth century,
someone still dares to show a stuffed human being in a show case,
as if it were an exotic animal. spain is the only country in the
world where this occurs,'' said arcelin.

carles abella, curator of the museum, said the figure has not
been removed due to the need to maintain ''unity'' in the museum.
''the black man of the darder museum forms part of the city's
popular culture, taught in school'', argued abella, who chose to
communicate by fax and not by telephone.

the official defended himself against accusations of racism,
saying that ''of course we don't consider it that way'' claiming
it is ''a museum that shows different races and cultures with the
adequate respect.'' (more/ips)

spain: black (2)

''it is a racial exhibit, and racism or morbosity may be a
personal attitude from visitors, which the museum does not
foment'', he added.

arcelin has threatened to boycott banola's participation in the
olympics' rowing competitions, scheduled to be held there this
summer.

''if the man is not moved, i'm willing to ask all black
athletes not to participate in competitions in a place where such
a racist statement is made; even worse, it is a man stolen from
his grave'', he said.

a museum publication explaining the origin of the stuffed man
says he was chief of a bechuana tribe in bechuanalandia, currently
botswana.

the museum publication is based on the explanation of francisco
darder, a naturalist from barcelona for whom the museum is named.
darder said that the figure's presence in the museum was due to
the ''audacity of french explorer eduard verraux,'' who stole the
chief's body from the tribe after he was buried.''

''in one of his many trips, verraux and his brother stole the
body at midnight, when the families and assistants to the ceremony
had left the spot,'' said darder, according to the publication.

in january of this year, arcelin began to find support for his
efforts, when the centre for inter-african cultural activities
(ciic) rewarded him the martin luther king prize and announced
efforts with botswana authorities.

according to ciic, the botswana foreign ministry has promised
to make an official request for the return of the body of the
former chief.

avella said that neither the municipality, the museum nor the
spanish ministry hs yet received the petition. but he expects it
will arrive ''at any moment'', and says it has the support of all
african embassies in madrid. (end/ips/trd/pa/lp/92)