(Summary at the bottom)

Black Europe isn’t defined by one culture, one language or one experience. It’s made up of many different communities, traditions and identities, each with their own stories and experiences. Together, they form a vibrant part of Europe’s cultural landscape, reminding us that belonging can look different for everyone.

What Does Belonging Mean?

For some, belonging is rooted in family, culture and shared traditions. For others, it means creating new communities, finding spaces where identity is celebrated or challenging the idea of who gets to call a place home.

Black communities have shaped neighbourhoods, influenced culture and helped build the societies we know today. Their stories show that belonging can be found in many different places, from family and community to the people and spaces that make us feel at home.

Communities Across Europe

London, United Kingdom

In 1948, the Empire Windrush arrived in Britain carrying hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean, many of whom had been invited to help rebuild the country after World War II. Over the following decades, the Windrush Generation made important contributions to British society through healthcare, public transport, education, arts and countless other fields, becoming a crucial part of modern Britain.

In 2018, the Windrush scandal revealed that many people who had legally lived in the UK for decades were wrongly denied their rights, detained or threatened with deportation. The scandal sparked a national conversation about citizenship, identity and belonging that continues today.

Want to learn more? BBC journalist Amanda Kirton traces her own family’s journey in From Slavery to Windrush: My Family’s Story. The documentary explores why the Windrush scandal became one of the UK’s most significant conversations about identity, belonging and Britain’s colonial past.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GamxNrkwqMw

 

 

Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Netherlands is home to a thriving Afro-Surinamese community, whose history is closely connected to Suriname, a former Dutch colony. Following Suriname’s independence in 1975, many Surinamese people settled in the Netherlands, bringing with them rich traditions, languages and cultures that continue to shape Dutch society today.

That heritage is celebrated each year during Keti Koti, meaning “broken chains” in Sranan Tongo. The festival commemorates the abolition of slavery in the former Dutch colonies while celebrating freedom, resilience and community through music, storytelling, food and remembrance.

 

Paris, France

For the longest time, Paris has been a meeting place for Black writers, artists, musicians and intellectuals from across Africa, the Caribbean and Europe. Many found opportunities for creative expression in the city and helped shape its cultural and artistic identity, while influencing movements that reached far beyond France.

Today, that legacy continues through fashion, music, literature and contemporary art. Black creatives remain an important part of Paris’ cultural landscape, with designers bringing African craftsmanship into the world of Parisian haute couture and showing how heritage and new ideas continue to influence European fashion.

Looks from Cameroonian designer Imane Ayissi’s Spring/Summer 2026 couture collection. 

Voices shaping Black Europe

These artists, writers and changemakers share perspectives that continue to shape conversations about identity, representation and community across Europe.

Misan Harriman

British-Nigerian photographer, filmmaker and activist.

Harriman uses photography to document Black life, protest and social change, becoming a prominent voice for representation and racial justice in Britain.

“If our voices held no power, they wouldn’t try to silence us.”

An assortment of photographs by Harriman documenting Black life, protest and resistance, from the fight against racism to   solidarity with people around the world.

Sharon Dodua Otoo

British-Ghanaian author, journalist and activist based in Germany.

Through her writing and activism, she explores questions of migration, race, identity and belonging across Europe.

“I have a British passport and London is my home, but there was still this something in the background music that said: ‘You don’t really belong here’”.

the things i am thinking while smiling politely - Otoo’s debut novella explores love, marriage, identity and everyday racism through the story of a Black British woman living in Germany.

Grada Kilomba

Portuguese writer, artist and psychologist of São Toméan and Angolan descent.

Kilomba’s work encourages audiences to reflect on history, memory and the stories that shape our understanding of Europe today.

“Decolonization is about creating new ways of seeing, thinking and being.”

 

The Bottom of the Earth – In her 2026 exhibition at the     Albuquerque Foundation in Sintra, Portugal, Kilomba imagines the ocean floor as an archive of memory, holding traces of slavery, colonialism, war and climate crisis.

Mitchell Esajas

Dutch-Surinamese anthropologist, activist and co-founder of The Black Archives.

Through The Black Archives in Amsterdam, Esajas helps preserve and share stories that are often forgotten, ensuring that Black history remains an essential part of the Dutch historical narrative.

"Our mission is to make hidden Black history visible."

 

 

Spotlight: The Black Archives 

The Black Archives is an independent cultural archive and community space in Amsterdam dedicated to collecting books, photographs, letters and documents that highlight the histories and contributions of Black people in the Netherlands and beyond. The archive helps make histories visible while creating space for dialogue, learning and community. 

Visit The Black Archives to explore its collections, exhibitions and resources: https://www.theblackarchives.nl/home.html

Did You Know?

The word diaspora comes from the ancient Greek word diaspeirein, meaning “to scatter”. Today, it is widely used to describe communities living outside their ancestral homelands while maintaining cultural, historical and family connections.

Summary

• Belonging is shaped by people, communities and shared experiences.
• The Windrush Generation, Afro-Surinamese communities and Black creatives in Paris have all helped shape Europe’s cultural landscape.
• Black voices continue to challenge perspectives on identity, representation and belonging.
• Organisations like The Black Archives preserve stories that might otherwise be forgotten, ensuring Black history remains visible for future generations.
• Black Europe isn’t just part of Europe’s history – it continues to shape its present and future.

The many voices of Black Europe remind us that there is no single way to express identity, community or belonging. You can chat about it here.

With Love,

The Inclusivity Group.