Black people in Sweden (‘Afro-Swedes’) demonstrated in the main capital Stockholm to support a bill to recognize Sweden’s role in the transatlantic slave trade. The demonstration was held on May 12th 2011.
But Sweden, slave trade and the Caribbean doesn't sound natural when you think of Sweden. But long after most colonial powers abolished slavery, Sweden was still trafficking slaves. In 1847 Sweden proclaimed slavery illegal. Only then were the last slaves in the Swedish slave plantation island St Barthélemey in the West Indies set free.
The demonstration in Stockholm was not only about slavery, but also against racism in general. Urbanlife.se was at the demonstration and made the following impression. "A lot has happened in Sweden recently to believe that change is on the way. Although the change I describe is perhaps not in line with Rosa Parks refusing to sit at the back of the bus on December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, it is however, the first time in Sweden's history where ‘Afro-Swedes’ – a term people of African and Caribbean descent fight to be addressed as - have joined together in protest.
The demonstration in Stockholm held on May 12th draws attention to the bill initiated by Gustav Fridolin (Miljöpartiet) regarding the transatlantic slave trade that Sweden was a part of, but which has not yet been recognized by the Swedish government. This is something that Gustav now wants to change and therefore has written this bill. There was a chorus of dissatisfaction amongst the crowd with the announcement that the bill had been dismissed earlier that afternoon. "
Photo: Director Othman Karim and actors Peter Gardiner and Tuva Novotny Othman Karim is the director of the Swedish film 'För kärleken' ('Dear Alice'). The film was released in 2010 and received a lot of attention in Scandinavia because Karim casted Danny Glover in the film. Glover plays a newly arrived immigrant from Gambia.
För kärleken (Dear Alice) centers on four people whose fates intertwine on one day when the decisions they make will have life-shattering results.
Othman Karim (born 19 March 1968) is a Swedish film director, documentary producer, television presenter and photographer.
Karim came to Sweden from Uganda in 1975 when his family fled Idi Amin's reign. He has studied at Brooks Institute of Photography, followed by employment with Steven Spielberg's production company Amblin Entertainment.
Plot: Very different lives, becomes interweaved during what seems like an ordinary day. Franzis Namazi (Danny Glover) is a newly arrived immigrant from Gambia to Sweden.
He is about to give up on his little store selling African art. Karin Carlsson-Said (Tuva Novotny) is a lawyer who is about to enter a new important step in her career as a lawyer.
Her husband Moses (Peter Gardiner) must send money to his hospitalized father in Uganda, but there are problems with the transaction and has issues with keeping up his work as a Social Worker.
Bosse (Ulf Brunnberg) is the TV star who finds out he has been fired off his own show and finds his young wife with another man, Håkan (Stefan Sauk) is a charming celebrity with an alcohol problem and now once again needs help from his lawyer Karin Carlsson-Said.
Stockholm-based travel writer and photographer Lola Akinmade wants to go the North pole with Quark Expeditions.
Quark Expeditions is looking for a blogger to cover their June 2011 Artic Expedition..but Lola needs our vote first.
Lola Akinmade is now an established travel writer and you can read her articles on the Matador Network and in the Heart and Soul magazine. Read more about Lola Akinmade at www.kiratianatravels.com
Sweden's Minister of integration Nyamko Ana Sabuni (1969), currently serving as Swedish Minister for Integration and Gender Equality , wants to become Prime Minister of Sweden. But does she really have chance to become the female Barack Obama of Europe, or is it just a political daydream?
The Times wrote about her: Ms Sabuni has never made any secret of her ambition to be Sweden’s first black Prime Minister. Some see parallels between her and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali refugee who renounced Islam, became a Dutch MP and spoke out against the religion, only to relocate in the US after a row about her asylum application.
“We are compared because we are both young, we are both black, we are both politicians,” Ms Sabuni said. “The mission of Ayaan is to reform Islam. My mission is not to reform Islam, my mission is to say that certain traditions are unacceptable. ” Read: Young, black, Swedish – the minister for controversy.
On Zuseeko's official Blog I read a very interesting opinion about Sabuni and her ambition. You can read part of it below.
“ Despite the recent Increase in "White Power" Groups and outright Violation of Civil Rights in the Scandinavian country. This might come as a surprise to you because you probably think Sweden would be one of the last countries in Europe to have a person of African descent occupy the highest office in the land - Office of the Prime Minister. You're wrong!
It is worth mentioning that despite Sweden's generosity, there is a glass ceiling all across the continent. The odds of a person of "color" becoming Sweden's prime minister anytime soon are slim, but make no mistake - Sabuni might as well be setting the stage. When Barack Obama claimed victory in November 2008, he said his presence on the stage was unlikely and that in no other country on Earth is his story even possible. Could this be true? Is it impossible for a person of African descent to be in the realm of political power in a country in Europe? Read more on Zuseeko's official Blog
” It is interesting that she is compared with Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
“African and African Diasporans have been living in Sweden since the 1300s,” writes Madubuko A. Robinson Diakité in his briefing ‘Afro Diasporians in Sweden, An unfinished History’ (2005). Diakité is a US born Swedish human rights lawyer and academic who has lived in Sweden since 1968.
His briefing is about Sweden’s “Blue men” during slavery, the African-American experience from the 1960s until today, and about the new arrived African immigrants in Sweden. In the intro he writes: “It's the result of many personal interviews and oral histories I have listened to with people here since my arrival in 1968.”
See snippets of the document below and download the pdf-document here.
M. A. Robinson Diakité is also Publisher and Managing Editor of a English University magazine entitled The Lundiun . A must read for everyone who is interested in Sweden.
Snippets of Afro Diasporians in Sweden
Post World War II arrivals
During 1950s and 60s, most African Americans who came to reside did so to join Family members (wives, husbands), or in the promotion of their arts. Also Jazz musicians, choreographers and others came during that time and made a lasting contribution to the development of post-ware Swedish artist, dancers and singers. Bad Icons
It has been estimated that during the Vietnam era, between 600 and 800 US deserters came to Sweden, and appromatitely 15% of these were African American. [Unfortunately some of them became bad icons, because they were involveld in criminal activities.]
When president Jimmy Carter's Amnesty was adopted most of deseters returned home, Today, there are only a few (less than 20) African American military deserters living in Sweden.
African American Business in Sweden
One of the success stories is the language school and translation company from New Orleons native Ronald B. Antoine. The company was founded in 1970 and expanded in the period of 1971- 1980.
The end of A love affair
The handfull of African American in Sweden who live here today seem to be well assimilated even though they are, like other non-European immigrants, the victims of ethnic discrimination on the job and housing markets. To earn of living most of us have either low-level service-oriented job, are engaged in the production of fine art, or are on disability pensions for one reason or another.
New and recent arrivals
Today's fresh arrivals of African Americans are nearly all young men who are employed for their skills at basketball to work as coaches or team members. But this a skills-bank which is not open to other sports where African American have a high profile such as boxing or track.
Many members of the older generation now have children who, because they attend elementary school here and may have one Swedish parent, have integrated into Swedish society better then they did. But there are also those whose now grown children have left Sweden because they failed to find their place in Sweden society.
However, there are some succes stories too: the country's most popular Rap artist, Timbuktu, is an African American by parentage (both parents are Americans: one black, one white). [His real name is Jason Michael Robinson Diakité, he is the son of the author.]
Africans and African Diasporans have a long, intensive history in Sweden, and have left many legacies. Scores of Swedish singers, musicians and civil rights activist proudly tell long stories of the contributions that African American dances and musicians made to their own interpretations of the arts and cultures. But these stories are never written in Swedish history books.
The older generation of African and Diasporians in Sweden is aging and passing on. The new generation, consisting largely of political refugees from Sub-Saharan Africa and their families, are beginning to enter the political arena, albeit slowly. The national election of 2001 saw the election of two Sub-Saharan Africans to the Swedish Parliament. [One of them is of course Nyamko Sabuni (politician, currently serving as Minister for Integration and Gender Equality in the Swedish government)]
What’s the difference between creativity and innovation? I you want to find out watch these videos of Frans Johansson. He is also the author of the book “The medici effect”, a book about how intersection between different disciplines or cultures can generate new ideas.
By the way, Frans Johanson was born in Germany, and raised in Sweden by his African-American/Cherokee mother and Swedish father.
Although this method of creating new ideas is not new, you sometimes need the push to execute them. When you are reading these last sentences you are maybe one click away from creating something new, or to put into practice you have thought of for years.
Vanessa James - Figure skating James (22) is a French-British figure skater who has competed internationally as both a single skater and pair skater. She has competed internationally for Great Britain as a single skater and for France as a pair skater. James is born in Bermuda.
Yannick Bonheur - Figure skating Bonheur (27) is a French pair skater. He competes with Vanessa James, with whom he teamed up in 2007. They are the 2010 French national champions. He is born in France and is from Martiniquean descent .
The Netherlands
Timothy Beck - Bobsleigh Beck (33) is a Dutch sprinter. He won a bronze medal in 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics. Beck also competed as a bobsledder Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in the 2002. He is Dutch born from Surinamese descent.
Urta Rozenstruik - Bobsleigh Rozenstruik (34) is a former sprinter who reached the finals at the indoor Dutch Championships in 1999. She was born in Surinam and raised in the Netherlands.
Great Britain
Henry Nwume - Bobsleigh Nwume (33), doctor in the armed forces, has been selected to represent Team GB in the four-man bobsleigh. Nwume got involved in bobsleigh via the Army Novice Ice Camp where he took a trial. He was born in Great Britain to a Nigerian father.
Sweden
Johnny Oduya - Ishockey Oduya (28) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman of partial Kenyan descent who plays for the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League.
