The 1958 World’s Fair, originally organized to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Belgium’s annexation of Congo, became a site of protest against the continued exploitation and dehumanization of the Congolese people. Despite drawing 40 million visitors and being the last World's Fair of the colonial period, its legacy was marred by the exotifying display of 278 Congolese people in a simulated village, echoing earlier exhibitions in Tervuren in 1897 and Antwerp in 1894.

However, the political and social climate had shifted by 1958. For the first time, Congolese tourists, sailors, students, and descendants were present in Belgium, fostering a significant gathering of Congolese voices. Among them were Congolese students who had come to study in Belgium. Outraged by the spectacle of the human zoo and the racist behavior of visitors, including the throwing of bananas and peanuts at the participants, these students sparked a protest. In solidarity with the students, the Congolese people exhibited in the village refused to continue their participation.

The presence of politically engaged Congolese students made this resistance possible, as they voiced their dissent and organized against the degrading display. Their protests forced the premature closure of the human zoo, marking a pivotal moment in the assertion of Congolese dignity. The power dynamics had shifted, and for the first time, the exhibited individuals had the support and space to resist, ending the fair’s dehumanizing exhibit long before its intended conclusion.