Black Babies Used as Alligator Bait in the U.S.
By: Jhemmylrut Teng
Tags: Equality, BlackLivesMatter, History, Racism, Social Justice

News articles about black babies as live bait

The utilization of black babies as live bait for alligator hunting became a form of debate in the U.S. Some argued that these incidents did not happen. However, several news articles about the gruesome activity were written in the 19th and 20th centuries.

These reports were still being explored up to this day. According to some accounts, the alligator and crocodile hunting became rampant in the latter part of the 1800s and early 1900s because the reptiles’ skin was produced into belts, shoes, and bags. Therefore, hunting the market’s demand for such raw material increased.

Washington Times

Washington Times article in 1908 | Image credit: Chronicling America

On June 3, 1908, the Washington Times wrote an article titled: “Baits Alligators with Pickaninnies.” The word “pickaninny” pertains to a black child. The news sub-headline continues as “Zoo Specimens Coaxed to Summer Quarters by Plump Little Africans.”

The news was about a zookeeper at New York Zoological Gardens’ who sent two black children into a paddock with over 25 crocodiles and alligators. The children were chased by the hungry reptiles, entertaining zoo patrons while leading the alligators and crocodiles out of the reptile house, into a tank where they could be viewed in the summer.

“Their eagerly eyes fixed on two plump pickaninnies, the crocodiles and alligators in New York Zoological Garden were decoyed from their winter quarters in the reptile house to the cool and shady tank just outside the building. It was the keeper’s idea to bait the saurians with pickaninnies, knowing as he did their epicurean fondness for their black man. So as the two small colored children happened to drift through the reptile house among the throng of the visitors he pressed them into service. The two crocodiles and all but four of the twenty-five alligators wobbled out as quick as they could after the ebony mites, who darted around the tank just as the pursuing monsters fell with grunts of chagrin into the water, disappointed of their prey.”

Throughout the article, there was no indicated information if the zookeeper was even punished by putting the two children in a dangerous enclosure. As if those young blood’s lives were worthless.

Richmond Times Dispatch

Richmond Times Dispatch in 1919 | Image credit: Chronicling America

The newspaper Richmond Times Dispatch, published on October 16, 1919, a sort of joke piece titled “Game Protection.”

The mini-story focused on Florida authorities’ use of black babies as alligator bait. But instead of showing concern for the babies, the short prose continued mocking them. Blaming the pickaninnies for the alligators rapid disappearance due to “indigestion,” after devouring them.

The St. Louis Republic

The St. Louis Republic article in 1902 | Image credit: Chronicling America

In October 1902, The St. Louis Republic described all of the floats in the city’s Veiled Prophet Parade. A secret society founded by a former Confederate soldier, the Veiled Prophet Organization held a parade to tell the history of the Louisiana Purchase. Float №15 was called “Plantation Life in Louisiana.” It displayed a “monstrous alligator swallowing a fat pickaninny.”

Miami New Times

In 2014, the Miami New Times wrote an article about the infamous practice in North and Central Florida, where black babies were used as alligator bait.

An interview from a local source told the story, which his grandfather passed onto him. In this version, the events were much worse. Black babies or toddlers were stolen during the day and taken down to the swamp at night.