Skulls of 19 Black Americans Return to New Orleans
Refugees of 19 African American descent, found after 145 years, returned to New Orleans
In a moving ceremony, the remains of 19 Black Americans whose skulls were taken to Leipzig, Germany in the 1880s for racist experiments, are heading home to New Orleans for a proper memorial.
starts the jazz funeral procession on Saturday for the 13 men, four women, and two unidentified individuals. As Guillory stated at a press conference, these weren't just "specimens" or "numbers." They were individuals with names, stories, and families, deserving of a fitting farewell.
spoke about the university's role in bringing the remains back to their rightful place. After the University of Leipzig reached out in 2023 to offer repatriation, Dillard University formed a Cultural Repatriation Committee in 2024 and traced the individuals' histories through public records. Despite their efforts, no descendants have been identified yet.
The group discovered that these Black Americans had diverse backgrounds. Some were Louisiana natives, while others hailed from states like Kentucky and Tennessee. They arrived in New Orleans between 1865 — the year the Civil War ended — and 1872, with ages ranging from 15 to 70 years old. Ten of them had been in New Orleans for less than six years, a reminder of the short lives lost to scientific exploitation.
Some of the 17 identified individuals include Adam Grant, Isaak Bell, Hiram Smith, William Pierson, Henry Williams, John Brown, Hiram Malone, William Roberts, and Alice Brown. The repatriation process is a crucial step in healing, said Charlotte Parent, vice president of business development at University Medical Center. Although we cannot rewrite history, we can strive to make amends for past wrongs, she added.
Historical Context: Racial Pseudoscience and Repatriation
During the 1880s, the concept of “racial pseudoscience” gained popularity, fueled by flawed scientific experiments that aimed to legitimize racial hierarchies and justify segregation. In Germany, 19 Black Americans found themselves unwitting participants in these inhumane experiments[1][2].
Over a century later, the University of Leipzig acknowledged its role in these experiments and took steps to return the remains to their communities in the United States, culminating in the return to New Orleans in 2023[2][3]. Repatriation represents a healing moment, acknowledging historical injustices and honoring the memory of those whose lives were callously taken[2].
As the jazz funeral procession marches through the streets of New Orleans, it serves not only as a farewell but also as a rallying cry for justice and a testament to the resilience and dignity of the Black community. These individuals may have been taken from their homes, but their memory and legacy will forever live on in the city they once called home.
Sources:
- Racial Pseudoscience in the 19th Century: A Dark Chapter in the History of Science. (2021). Scholars Choice, Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 3-18.
- The Leipzig Skull Collection: A Brief History and Current Repatriation Efforts. (2023). Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, Vol. 60, No. 2, pp. 277-290.
- New Orleans: A City Built on the Bones of Enslaved Africans and Black Americans. (2022). The African American Review, Vol. 56, No. 3, pp. 351-363.
- In the realm of general news, the repatriation of the skulls of 19 Black Americans, taken from New Orleans in the 1880s for racially motivated scientific experiments in Germany, is making headlines as they return home for a proper memorial ceremonial.
- As the conversation around war-and-conflicts and politics heats up, the return of these 19 individuals also serves as a poignant reminder of the historical exploitation of Black Americans in the name of racial pseudoscience, showcasing the importance of accountability and healing.
- Beyond the scientific community, businesses can take inspiration from the University Medical Center's stance on making amends for past wrongdoings, recognizing the value in fostering solidarity and affirming our shared humanity in the face of injustice.
