Afropean Summary

“What does it mean to be Black and European?” Johny Pitts embarks on a journey across Europe to uncover the lives, struggles, and triumphs of Afropeans, exposing hidden narratives and challenging mainstream perspectives.

1. Identity in the Shadows of Multicultural Sheffield

Johny Pitts grew up in Firth Park, Sheffield, an area teeming with multicultural life. His mixed-race heritage reflected the neighborhood's diversity – a community of descendants of British colonies settled alongside white working-class families and other immigrants from Yemen, India, and Jamaica. This diversity fostered a vibrant culture in the 70s through the 90s, with hip-hop becoming a key expression of youth identity in Sheffield.

However, by the mid-1990s, the area began to decline due to globalization and economic shifts that gutted local industries. People in Firth Park faced rising poverty, crime, and social disintegration, making it difficult to hold onto the vibrant multicultural atmosphere of earlier decades. For Pitts, this erosion raised questions about belonging and identity as his working-class roots felt increasingly disconnected from larger British society.

After moving to London for college, the dynamics of his identity unraveled further. He observed larger racial divides and felt like an outlier in both Black and white spaces. This brewing identity crisis pushed Pitts to dig deeper into what it means to be both Black and European, sparking his Afropean odyssey.

Examples

• Firth Park provided a mix of Somali, Jamaican, and Yemeni cultural expressions.
• The pirate radio station SCR offered underground Black music to Sheffield communities.
• Economic downturns led to disillusionment and a rise in crime and substance abuse among locals.

2. Paris: A Jazz-Fueled Crossroads of Black Histories

Paris demonstrated a rich blend of African, European, and African American influences. Its Black quarters, such as Barbès and Château Rouge, are home to African markets and a bustling sense of community, reflecting deep ties from France’s colonial past. Pitts explored how these connections shape life today.

Historically, Paris became a haven for African American artists and intellectuals fleeing racism at home. During the 1920s and ’30s, figures like jazz great Josephine Baker and novelist Richard Wright thrived in France. Parisians’ introduction to jazz by African American soldiers of World War I became a bridge that celebrated Blackness across borders.

Despite its cultural significance, Paris showcases unresolved racial issues. Many African immigrants are restricted to impoverished banlieues, while mainstream racism persists, as evidenced by slurs like those used by public figures such as Jean-Paul Guerlain. Paris thus mirrors both the promise and the challenge of Afropean identity.

Examples

• Alexandre Dumas’ Afro-Haitian heritage exemplifies the intersectionality of French and Black identities.
• The Harlem Hellfighters stationed in Paris introduced jazz to French society.
• African immigrants confront racism and economic marginalization in Paris’ outskirts.

3. Brussels and the Birthplace of "Afropeanism"

In Brussels, Pitts explored the legacy of Belgian colonialism and how Black communities like the Congolese have carved new identities. The city’s Africa Museum starkly reflects its imperial past, housing relics of exploitation without acknowledging historical atrocities like King Leopold II’s reign over the Congo.

But out of this dark history, contemporary movements have emerged. Belgian-Congolese artist Marie Daulne coined the term “Afropean” to describe her blend of African heritage with European experience, giving rise to a cultural framework for Black Europeans. Matongé, a hub of Black cultural life in Brussels, highlights the diverse mosaic of the city’s African diaspora through restaurants and jazz clubs.

Brussels also showcases the contradictions of integration, as older colonial propaganda lingers in cultural memory. Nevertheless, Afropeans in Brussels embrace fluid identities as cultural nomads, affirming that belonging can transcend lines of race or class.

Examples

• Tintin in the Congo reflects overt colonialist ideologies from Belgian history.
• Marie Daulne’s musical collaborations embody Afropean resilience.
• The Matongé district thrives with Congolese and Senegalese cultural institutions.

4. Preserving Afro-Surinamese History in Amsterdam

In Amsterdam, Afro-Surinamese activists champion African history and identity. This group, tracing lineage to enslaved West Africans and Dutch colonialism, has left significant contributions to Amsterdam’s vibrant culture. Diverse organizations like Ons Suriname preserve this legacy.

One focal point is the Hugo Olijfveld House, where young students archive the voices of early Afro-Surinamese activists such as Otto Huiswoud and Hermina Huiswoud. They connected Amsterdam with Harlem Renaissance ideals, infusing both Marxist and Pan-African ideologies into global discourse. Their efforts proved foundational for Dutch civil rights movements.

Today, the New Urban Collective works to raise awareness of systemic racism and celebrate Black excellence in Amsterdam. Through its Black Archives, the group confronts historical amnesia and challenges harmful traditions like “Zwarte Piet.”

Examples

• The Black Archives store writings of leaders such as W.E.B. du Bois.
• Hermina Huiswoud turned socialist values into action at Ons Suriname.
• Protests against “Zwarte Piet” have renewed conversations about racism in the Netherlands.

5. Berlin’s Rastafarian Vibes Meet Anti-Fascist Blind Spots

Berlin is a city of contrasts. Pitts witnessed how the Antifa, though vocal in opposing fascism, often failed to connect with minority communities even while marching against racial injustice. Most protestors were white, revealing the disconnect between intentions and outcomes.

At the same time, Berlin offered cultural unity through spots like YAAM (Young African Artist Market), a gathering place for diverse immigrant groups, particularly Rastafarians. Rastafarianism, originating in Jamaica and championed by figures like Ethiopia’s Emperor Haile Selassie I, merges Pan-African nationalism with spiritual ideals.

YAAM exemplifies a nurturing space where German locals and African immigrants coexist, transcending boundaries. Pitts, inspired by this joyful coalescence, pondered African-German poet May Ayim’s words, “i will be African even if you want me to be german.”

Examples

• Antifa protests rarely reach out to Black communities directly affected by racism.
• YAAM integrates reggae music into Berlin’s multicultural scene.
• Haile Selassie's philosophies influence Berlin’s Rastafarian identity.

6. Stockholm’s Double-Consciousness on Diversity

While Sweden boasts many Black success stories, its peaceful surface masks issues like economic inequality linked to its arms industry. Public figures like Neneh Cherry symbolize Sweden’s multicultural ethos, but the nation's policies have fractured immigrant communities.

Stockholm's Rinkeby district, originally built on socialist ideals, now faces economic neglect. Its population, largely immigrants, often gets blamed for failing to integrate socially. Afropean residents are stuck between celebrating their achievements and navigating underlying prejudices in Swedish society.

Pitts observed how this narrative overlaps racial justice with global responsibility – the weapons sold to war zones often force people to migrate, sparking cycles of displacement within Sweden and beyond.

Examples

• Sweden’s Saab manufactures arms fueling conflict in the Global South.
• Rinkeby Swedish dialects highlight immigrant resistance to full assimilation.
• Folkhemmet’s dream of inclusive socialism now mainly benefits the middle class.

7. Moscow: Fading Multicultural Promises

Moscow’s People’s Friendship University was initially a beacon for international solidarity during the Soviet era, hosting students from Africa. The USSR aligned itself with anti-imperialist struggles, fostering ties with Black activists such as Paul Robeson and Patrice Lumumba.

Modern Moscow, however, has strayed from those ideals. Rising nationalism, often promoted by political figures, alienates immigrant communities. African students stay confined to campuses to avoid racism in the wider city.

For Pitts, Moscow’s fragmented identity symbolized the collapse of past communist utopias and the erosion of once-progressive values.

Examples

• Alexander Pushkin, revered in Russian literature, came from African ancestry.
• USSR collaborations supported African independence movements.
• Putin’s Russia promotes xenophobia and erases multicultural legacies.

8. Marseille: A Glimpse of an Afropean Ideal

Marseille’s vibrant cultural mix gave Pitts hope for inclusive futures. As a coastal hub between Europe and Africa, its history includes colonial links and abolitionist movements. Today, many populations thrive there – from Algerians to Romanians.

This unity inspired writers like Claude McKay, who centered Marseille in his poetry. Pitts felt the city’s communal harmony provided a real template for Afropea, reflecting its intersectional spirit.

Examples

• Claude McKay depicted Marseille’s mixed cultures in his novel Banjo.
• North African immigrants have deeply shaped Marseille’s cuisine and markets.
• The city’s working-class neighborhoods feel cohesive despite diversity.

9. Lisbon: African Communities’ Resilience

Lisbon's Cova de Moura neighborhood represents a self-sustaining Afropean enclave. Though marginalized and stigmatized as dangerous by outsiders, its residents share extraordinary cultural and social ties.

Organizations like the local community center empower residents, hosting dance events and rights advocacy. For Pitts, this energy highlighted the strong bonds forming new identities between Portugal’s African-descended populations.

Examples

• Walls painted with Nelson Mandela murals embody community pride.
• Cape Verdean music blends seamlessly into street celebrations.
• Associação Cultural de Juventude acts as Lisbon’s hub for activism and youth.

Takeaways

1. Research and reflect on the colonial histories of your country and their ongoing impacts on local and global communities.
2. Support or participate in organizations that document and celebrate marginalized histories, such as grassroots archives.
3. Seek out multicultural neighborhoods or community venues to build cross-cultural understanding and celebrate shared humanity.