Time for some real history.
Sometimes we need to be confronted with stories that are difficult to deal with, but we must.
Nsala stares at the foot and hand of his 5 year old daughter Boali in the Congo Free State, 14th May 1904.
The limbs were all that remained of his family.
The Congo Free State was the private colony of King Leopold II of Belgium who plundered the region of its ivory, rubber and minerals from 1885 to 1908.
Natives were forced to work for the Anglo-Belgian India Rubber Company (ABIR) and were terrorised by militias that consisted of mercenaries from all over the world but also from the region, some were recruited many were forced to join up, some taken from their villages as kids.
When Wala was attacked the militia killed several people, Nsala lost his wife and 10 year old son as well as his daughter.
The dead were cut them to pieces, cooked and eaten.
Nsala managed to grab what remained of his daughter and brought it to missionaries, he wanted to show proof to white people.
He found Alice.
Alice Seeley Harris had arrived in the Congo in 1898 with her husband as missionaries, both were appalled by what they saw there.
She had been campaigning against the situation and tried to get the natives their rights recognised.
Her most powerful weapon in this was her camera.
Alice took the photo of Nsala.
She also took many other photos showing the Congo atrocities.
When the ABIR found out they had their militia try and intimidate the missionaries by shooting rifles nearby but it didn't work.
Alice got the photos out and got them published.
Her photos were seen across the world, Alice and her husband were involved in the Congo Reform Association and the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines' Protection Society, Alice travelled as a speaker and protestor, making sure the story and pictures reached as many people as possible.
There were many others who also tried to stop what was happening in the Congo, such as US civil war veteran George Washington Williams played a huge part in putting a stop to the atrocities with his damning and stunning open letter to Leopold.
blackpast.org/global-african…
Finally in 1908 the international community forced Belgium to take over from the King and the region became an Belgian colony, which improved the situation but it wouldn't be till 1960 that Congo finally achieved independence
Many people fought to put an end to the horrible situation in the Congo but I think we can't underestimate the part Alice her photos played.
As we speak statues of King Leopold II are being removed all over Belgium.
Better late then never.
I wish Nsala, George and Alice were here to see it, they might be surprised the statues were still even up but doubtlessly glad they were now finally taken down.
Maybe we can replace Leopold's statues with statues for them in stead.
PS of course my short thread here doesn't do the full horror and story justice, it is just an introduction so people may understand the news stories surrounding Leopold's statues.
Please make sure you find out more about this yourself, it won't be easy but I think it is necessary
Addendum;
Link to the Allice Heeley collection;
antislavery.ac.uk/solr-search?q=…
Addendum 2:
This wonderful cartoon showing the power of photography.
Leopold denying the accusations of torture being confronted by the camera and its photos.
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