NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans commemorated the rehabilitation and burial of 19 African American remains whose skulls were sent to Germany in the 19th century as a result of racist research practices.
On Saturday, a diverse service ceremony was held, featuring one of the city’s most cherished traditions, a jazz funeral, honoring the dignity of those returning to their final resting place at the Hurricane Katrina Memorial.
“We ironically know what transpired after their deaths, the atrocities that followed, because of the descendants of their bodies,” stated Monique Guilloly, president of Dillard University, a historically black liberal arts institution, during the reception of the bodies on behalf of the city. “This is, indeed, an opportunity to acknowledge and commemorate the humanity of all these individuals who were historically dismissed.
All 19 are believed to have passed away from natural causes between 1871 and 1872, serving individuals of all races and contributing valuable lessons during a time of white supremacy in the 1800s. The hospital where they were kept closed in 2005, after Hurricane Katrina.
The remains were placed in 19 wooden boxes in the university’s chapel for the service on Saturday, accompanied by music from the Kumbuka African drums and dance collective.
A physician in New Orleans had provided 19 skulls for pleural research, which was conducted by German researchers.
“Every type of experiment was performed on both living and deceased Black individuals,” remarked historian Eva Baham, who has worked to repatriate the remains at Dillard University. “These were individuals who had no agency over their bodies.”
In 2023, the University of Leipzig in Germany reached out to the city of New Orleans to facilitate the return of the remains, according to Guilloly. The University of Leipzig has yet to respond to requests for comments.
“With our own moral demonstrations here in New Orleans and Leipzig, along with a professor eager to restore the dignity of these individuals,” Baham stated.
Researchers at Dillard University mention that more excavations are intended, including efforts to trace potential descendants. They suspect that some individuals were likely recently emancipated from slavery.
“These were genuinely impoverished individuals at the end of the 19th century, but… they had names, stories, and traversed the communities we cherish,” Guilloly noted. “We all deserve recognition of our humanity and the value of our lives.”
Source: apnews.com