Barney Hill: An African American
Contribution to UFO History

February is the month when we remember the historic contributions of African Americans. In honor of Black History Month, I decided to write a brief article about one African American's contribution to UFO history.

Barney Hill, an African American postal worker from New Hampshire, was one of the first documented alien abductees. Although this may seem to be a dubious honor, it is nevertheless a significant turning point in the UFO phenomenon. Prior to the Hill case, reports of alien contact were generally benign. Friendly aliens would invite "contactees" to tour their spaceships or visit their home planets. The worst thing that could happen is that the aliens might warn the contactees about the dangers of pollution or nuclear war.

But the Hill case was different. Barney Hill and his wife, Betty, reported being taken aboard a spaceship against their will by small aliens with large heads and large black eyes who forced them to endure painful medical experiments. The Hill case introduced us to the concepts of "missing time" and "recovered memories". If any of this sounds familiar, it is because, ever since the Hill case, most reports of alien contact have taken this form.

The Hill case started innocently enough. On the night of September 19, 1961, Barney and Betty Hill were driving home from a vacation in Canada when they saw a strange light in the sky. They stopped twice to view the object through binoculars. Barney described it as a "big pancake" with "rows of windows". At one point, the object came so close that Barney could see figures moving around inside. Although frightened by the UFO, the Hills apparently made it home unharmed.

Later, however, the Hills discovered strange spots on their car. They also found that Barney's shoes were scuffed and Betty's dress was stained and torn. Betty had a series of nightmares about about being taken inside the UFO. After discussing the incident with UFO investigators, the Hills determined that the drive home from Canada had taken at least two hours longer than it should have.

In 1962, the Hills underwent hypnosis to discover what had happened during those two hours of "missing time". Under hypnosis, both Barney and Betty recovered memories of an alien abduction experience. Some have suggested that these alleged memories were simply fantasies influenced by science fiction movies and television shows of the time. But those closest to the case insisted that the Hills were sincere.

So the question remains. What really happened on that September night in 1961? If the Hills were not, in fact, abducted by aliens, then what happened during those two fateful hours? One must wonder if the Hills might have been the targets of a racially motivated hate crime, which would not be inconceivable for an interracial couple in the 1960s. Perhaps the fantasy of alien abduction was less painful for the Hills to deal with than the crude reality of senseless human hatred and violence?

Whatever the case may be, the Hill abduction changed the course of UFO history, and an African American was at the center of the action.