Travelling from Amsterdam to Paris - Black bloggers on the move

Photo and copyright: Linda Garrison (Arc de Triomphe)
Summer news. We, a Dutch black-brown blogger couple, travelled to Paris by train from Amsterdam Central Station to Paris Gare du Nord. This train station is the busiest station in Europe, and one of the busiest railway stations in the world. The female blogger will write her own story on her Dutch Blog.

Most important travel choice. Taking the car was an option, but is was a four hour drive, stops not included. Driving in Paris wasn’t an option, because you have to be a Parisian to drive a car in Paris.

Most interesting train experience. On the Thalys fast train we met a Dutch Moroccan couple who were going to Paris to visit family. It appeared they only lived a few blocks away. What a coincidence!

Most worst metro experience. We had to jump out of a metro carriage into a dark metro tunnel. Everything went smootly when we took the metro to our destination, but when we took the metro back to the city the trouble started. While we were heading to Gare du Nord the metro suddenly stopped in the tunnel. It was a crowded metro on a hot summer's day. There was no message from the metro operator as to why we had stopped. After about ten minutes we heard people opening the door of the metro. And suddenly we found ourselves standing in the door opening of metro carriage, but without the station platform. We had to jump from the metro carriage into a dark subway tunnel. It was like jumping from the top of a bunk. After a two minute walk we saw the lights of the metro station Gare du Nord. It appeared the train was broke. I hate to say this, but this is so French.

Most interesting bus experience. When we arrived at Gare du Nord we took the city bus 42 to the Champs-Élysées. In the bus we met a Dutch Caribbean couple who were heading to the Eiffel Tower. They where in Paris for the second time, because they wanted to show an another family member the culture of Paris. Small world! We also talked to the French folks on the bus. Real city people. Always in for a small talk.

Most interesting black experience. You see black people everywhere. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that in the recent past black people in France were afraid of calling themselves black or “noirs”. Afraid of not conforming to the French principle that all people are French and equal. It was the French black organisation CRAN who activaly began adressing the issue that visible minorities in France faced discrimination. The front man, Patrick lozes wrote the book 'Nous, Les Noirs de France'(We, the blacks of France').

Last ethnic detail. Two black people in the metro were calling us 'Caribe'. Some people are always trying to label you.

Most interesting city experience. Of course we got lost in Paris. So we asked a bus driver which bus we had to take to Gare du Nord. He first pointed us to a bus station in a nearby street, but while we were walking towards the bus station we heard a yell. It was the bus driver. He had left his bus to tell us he knew a shorter route. Great guy. We waved at him as he drove by.

Most notable difference between Paris and Amsterdam. People in Paris ride scooters like people in Amsterdam ride bicycles.

Most favourite French author I was suddenly thinking of. Of course Alexandre Dumas, author of the The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. I still remember the moment when I found out he was black. Dumas was reburied in 2002 in the Panthéon of Paris, the great mausoleum where French luminaries are interred. Former French President Jacques Chirac acknowledged that racism was the reason why he hadn't been enshrined in the past. Dumas was the greatest.

Dumas reminded me of a video of a school trip of French children from an urban school. They were on a excursion to get to know the famous French author Honoré De Balzac. Interesting detail, the children are from the neighbourhood where the ethnic riots broke out.

Le 93 et Balzac

Racist poster of German Green party

"The only reason to vote black", the poster states. In German: "Der Einzige Grund Schwartz zu wahlen." The image of two white hands on the buttocks of a black woman complete the statement. Is this the poster of some right wing German organisation? Is it an awareness campaign , or is it a joke?

It is a local political campaign pamphlet of the Green Party in Germany. Because black is the colour of the German Conservative party, the poster is used - according to the party – to break the absolute majority of the Conservative party CDU in the region. So it just means, don't vote conservative?

But why use the image of black woman in this way? Black German organisations call the poster racist and sexist, but the German party sees no harm in it. They even see it as provocative. In a press release they state: "The Green Party in particular have politics which stand out for their commitment to tolerance, *Weltoffenheit *and equality." Weltoffenheit is a German concept that is meant to symbolise inclusiveness, multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism. And, "Indeed, this poster could be seen to be "anti-racist" since we have received exactly this feedback from people with a migration background." See the full translated press statement here.

On their blogs Afro-Germans express their grief about the poster. On the blog of the black media watch organisation ‘der braune mob’ most people see it as blatant racism. Others see the fact that party stated “people with a migration background” as a sign that the party makes a sharp distinction between ‘Germans’ and others.

Unfortunately the German Green party still doesn't see that that their multicultural awareness is in sharp contrast to the awareness to other Green parties. At least those who claim to embrace multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism. I don't think that similar parties in the Netherlands, France, the UK or in the US would see such a poster as an expression of diversity.

But it’s clear that the Green party in Germany knows how to connect to ‘its own people’ to achieve its goals. I’ am afraid that my biased Dutch opinion about Germany may even be true.

But what does "the only reason to vote black" really mean. In my view the Green Party probably meant to say, that conservative voters are only interested in foreigners if it has to do with sex. The word "black" refers to the colour of German Conservative party, and the image of a black woman might refer to foreigners. But the offical explanation is, that the poster is meant to highlight the Greens' support for same-sex partnerships. But why use a black woman?

The Greens actually think the poster can be seen as anti-racist. But the reality is that they without any shame exploit racial stereotypes of black women for political goals. I don’t think the party would even consider of using racial stereotypes of Jewish people. But the image of naked black woman is in their world view something they can use without serious consequences.

Also read: German Green Party Defends 'Racist' Campaign Poster

(Special thanks to the media watch organisation Der Braune Mob for supplying the translated press release)

Happy 36th Birthday Hip-Hop!

Yesterday, 36 years ago, Hip-Hop was born on 1520 Sedgwick Ave. and Cedar Park USA. But the music and the culture also made its way to Europe. Happy birthday Hip-Hop!


via: Shadow And Act.

The Netherlands returns King’s Head to Ghana.

The head of king Badu Bonsu II is officially back in Ghana. The Dutch minister of Foreign Afffairs, Maxime Verhagen, Ghanaian representative in The Netherlands Odoi-Anim and Ghanaian traditional leader Etsin Kofi II signed on 23 July in The Hague a declaration that eventually makes the head’s handover a fact. The great-great-grandson of Badu Bonsu II was also present.

Aqua Fortis

The head was at the ministry of Foreign Affairs but was only public for guests from Ghana. Badu Bonsu II killed in 1838 two Dutch emissaries at the Gold Coast and was consequently hanged en decapitated. The head was kept and brought to the Netherlands. There it was put into aqua fortis to be preserved. According to Radio Voice of Africa this was for several people in Ghana a sensitive issue.

When the Ghanaian president Kufuor visited the Netherlands last year the issue was brought to the attention. ‘Everywhere in the world people give much importance to the way there forefathers are buried. In a way that cherishes their soul. We have to be able to say goodbye to those we honored when alive. We have to know that our forefathers can rest in peace’ said minister Verhagen at the ceremony.

The minister went on, "King Badu Bonsu II lived when the Dutch were controlling the trade posts of the Cold Coast. After his dead he became a symbol of these turbulent times. Our common past includes also the disgraceful slave trade, in which our traders were involved and which they sustained. We do not ignore this shared heritage.”

Attention
In Ghana there was a lot of attention for this event. According to Radio Voice of Africa the handover ceremnoy had ben broadcasted live.

Notting Hill Carnival in London: the struggle of a community

The Notting Hill Carnival is now a showcase of London’s multicultural society, but in 1976 the Carnival turned into a race riot. See the interesting post of the history of black British people in West London, on the French blog Caraïbes et z'Antilles

In about two weeks, the streets of Notting Hill in West London, will be flooded for two days by more than one million people who come to attend the second largest street parade in the world after that of Rio de Janeiro. The Notting Hill Carnival is so immense popular that it allows the British government today to extol the virtues of its model of integration.

But its success was not obvious if you look at the early years of the Notting Hill Carnival. In the summer of 1976 racial tensions between the police and the Caribbean community sparked a riot after the arrest of two black men. The riot turned Notting hill into a battlefield.

In the compelling documentary 'The Long Hot Summer of 1976' the build up to the riot and the clash with police is told through interviews and visuals. Among the interviewed are black British filmmaker Don letts, singer Eddy Amoo and many others.

Official website Notting Hill Carnival
Read: Remembering the Notting Hill riot

The Long Hot Summer of 1976 - 1


The Long Hot Summer of 1976 - 2

Carnaval Tropical de Paris 2009

Carnaval Tropical de Paris 2009 was the 8the edition of the French carnival, which was held on July 14th in the streets of Paris.

This year 2009 the carnival had something new, the election of the Queen of the Carnival. The winning group received a ticket for the Nottinghill Carnival in London.

Official website: Carnival Tropical de Paris 2009

See images of the Carnival on the blog Caribes et z'Antilles here

Garden party of the French Overseas Departments (2009)

Photo and copyright: Régis Durand de Girard
On July 13th 2009 the French Overseas Departments had their annual garden party. The invited guests are seen as a reflexion of who is in and who is out of the black socio political spotlight in France. See the photos here.

On the photo (right) Marie-luce Penchard, the new appointed Secretary of State for Overseas Territories, and host of the garden party. Penchard replaced Yves Jégo, who was a mayor player in the 2009 French Caribbean general strikes. Olivier Biancarelli (left) is the special overseas territories advisor and top aid of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The photo comment on the Paris blog (see photos) states: "Qui est le chef maintenant? (Who is the boss now?)."

The Overseas Departments and Territories (French: départements d'outre-mer and territoires d'outre-mer or DOM-TOM) are the Caribbean islands Martinique, Guadeloupe, the South American country French Guiana, and the African island Réunion. The other countries have a different status. People from the d' outre-mer are French citizens.

Not only government officials were invited at the garden party. Actrice Firmine Richard and Zouk singer Claudy Siar were also present. But also professionals, young potentials and people who play an active role in the French black community were invited. Lucette Michaux-Chevry, the powerful mother of Marie-luce Penchard, also attended the party.

The important question is if Marie-luce Penchard will be able to stabilise the explosive political situation on the French Caribbean Island Guadeloupe. According to critics Penchard is not a political powerhouse, but the fact that she is born in Guadeloupe is seen as a positive factor in the conflict.

But what happened to Christine Kelly? The glamorous black French TV presenter and writer who had come to the attention of star-struck president Nicolas Sarkozy for the post of Secretary of State for Overseas Territories. The latest news: she has turned green.

Official site l’Outre-Mer

Kwakoe festival in Amsterdam

The Kwakoe festival in Amsterdam South East is moving towards it's final weekend (August 8-9). The Kwakoe Festival is Amsterdam's biggest multicultural festival and the main festive event of the Surinamese, the Dutch Antillean and the African community.

Kwakoe attracts thousands of visitors to the Bijlmerpark show ground over six summer weekends for a programme of live music, dancing, film screenings, sports, informative events, discussions and many varieties of ethnic food. A different theme is chosen each year and this is reflected in the music and performances. Increasingly popular, Kwakoe has drawn crowds of up to a million people in recent years.

Film: I’m Bi-Racial… Not Black Damn It!

For the film 'I’m Bi-Racial… Not Black Damn It!' see the interesting post and comments on the film blog Shadow And Act

Of course I've asked a bi-racial Dutch African-American woman about her opinion. She feels that the title, I’m Bi-Racial… Not Black Damn It!, is wrong. Being bi-racial means not black not white, but both. It's a combination.

People with a bi-racial background are a fast growing group in Europe. It's a consequence of the fact that Europe is less racially segregated then the US.


4 minute trailer


For more information go the website http://videoproduction.battlecatt.com

Summer Carnival Rotterdam (Netherlands)

Photo and copyright: Bas Czerwinkski
Summer Carnival is a yearly 3-day Caribbean Carnival in the city centre of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Summer Carnival, similar to the carnival in Rio, is a huge event where at least 900.000 visitors come from all over Europe to dance to the latin music and look at the colourful and amazing costumes and floats in the big street parade. On Saturday the big Street Parade emerges in the city centre. The street parade is on July 25th.

Summer Carnival Rotterdam

Next stop, the Notting Hill Carnival in London (30 - 31 August 2009)

The winner of the battle of the drums 2008

Black travel experiences in Europe

Photo and copyright: Lola Akinmade
How do black people experience travelling in Europe? Do they feel stared at, feel welcome, or is it a bit of both. And in which Western European countries do they feel most comfortable?

To find out I sampled the experiences (2008 and 2009) from Rick Steves’s Minority Travelers Forum. Most experiences are from African-Americans who visited Europe.

I could have asked photographer and travel writer Lola Akinmade about her travel experience, but on her blog are all the answers. In pictures and in stories. See Lola's blog Geotraveler's Niche. So I stayed on Steves's forum.

To get a big picture of all the experiences I placed the reactions in the categories negative, neutral and positive. Negative means when someone felt being treated negatively. Neutral means, no problems. Positive speaks for itself.


Click on the image to enlarge

1. In England or the UK – Most travellers had a great time. No stares, hardly any discrimination. With 2 negative and 9 positive reactions the absolute winner.

2. Germany – Second best with 1 negative reaction, 1 neutral and 3 positive reactions.

3. The Netherlands – One traveller felt very race conscious in the Netherlands. With 2 negative reactions, 1 neutral and 3 positive reactions third place.

4. France - Very mixed responses. Most black travellers liked it, but the French language barrier remained. Most Americans had neutral feelings about France, but over all they weren’t negative. With 2 negative reactions, 7 neutral and 4 positive reactions fourth place.

5. Italy – Here things started to get dramatically negative. Some loved Italy, others were less positive. Some reported being stared at. To put it in perspective, 4negative reactions, 2 neutral and 3 positive. Fifth place

6. Spain – This country is considered the worst Western European travel destination by most African-Americans on the forum. Most travellers see Spain as a very racist country. However one traveller was aware of racial climate in Spain, but still went. He had a great time in Spain. With 6 negative reactions, 2 neutral and 3 positive reactions it’s a country that leaves a lot of black travellers with some bad memories, but with good ones as well.

Countries as Belgium, Zweden, Austria, Creece and Ireland I didn't include because there were just one or two reactions.

Of course you can’t get a good impression if you have nine responses or less of each country. And it also depends where travellers had their experiences: big city or country side.

Minority
Lola Akinmade is using her blackness to experience traveling to the max. In an interview she explained why she loves traveling as a minority. "Being able to seamlessly move because people automatically assume I’m a local impoverished immigrant allows me to observe and immerse without sticking out like a sore thumb in some places. I get to experience the true attitudes of locals towards others very different from them – both great and bad.

I have experienced everything from utmost rejection to gawks of fascination that a lot of bright-eyed backpackers could never endure. It is at the low times I question the purpose of travel and then Mark Twain’s quote always comes to mind….“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."…… Mark Twain."
Read the whole interview here

First black Miss England sparks controversy

Rachel Christie is the first Miss England who is black. Christie, 20, a heptathlete from London, is the niece of Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter Linford Christie.

But her election has already sparked controversy. Not because she is black, but because she won with only nine votes from the public. The runner up won the public vote with 2,013 votes. But in spite of low public vote the organisers chose Rachel Christie as Miss England 2009.

The organisers defended their vote. Angie Beasley, director of Miss England, said the public played only a part in the contest, choosing one of the 15 top finalists with this vote amounting effectively to a seventh judge in the final selection. Read Organisers defend Miss England vote

See Uk blog Mad news for some black responses.

Black French celebrities attend Trace TV event

Photo and copyright: Régis Durand de Girar

The French urban media organisation Trace has moved to a new location in Paris. On July 8th Trace celebrated the event by throwing a party for French urban celebs and media officials. Almost 300 people attended the event. The French blog Fxgpariscaraibe made full a photo report of the day. For the photos click here. (On the photo: Vicelow de Saïan from the Supa Crew and Virginie Koné from Trace.)