OBV supporting Sweden’s Afro-Swedes

One of the most encouraging elements I’ve seen across Europe in recent years has been the strong and proud resurgence of African/European identity. The UK and France has always had a long standing African identity which has demanded greater equality and social justice, but other Africans across Europe are beginning to find a unique African voice; A voice that is rooted in multifaceted identities, pride, fairness, and the courage to fight for it. One of the latest groups to emerge is the Afro-Swedes.

I met last week with one of its most eloquent and passionate writers and advocates. Michael Machrane. From a standing start this small group linking with other groups are on the verge of getting elected two or three of their members to the Swedish parliament along with a race equality agenda, the likes of which Sweden has never seen.

We have firmly pledged to support our brothers and sisters in Sweden and across Europe. We might also learn from their rapid rise that has both inspired Afro-Swedes and won over mainstream political parties too.

Here’s Michael’s first article for OBV.

Good Luck Michael and the other activist. We look forward to working with you in the future.

Simon Woolley

Anti-racist discourse has exploded in Swedish media this year. Afro-Swedes and other people of colour in Sweden are calling out Swedish society on its entrenched and widespread patterns of racial discrimination. In mainstream media several articles per day are being published on the topic – along with, for example, a much discussed government report on Afrophobia that was published earlier this year (see here for an executive summary in English). Though, mainstream political parties have yet to catch up.

However, political change seems to be on the way. This past spring my organization Fight Racism Now ran an international campaign in 15 countries with the goal of putting concrete measures against racism on the political agenda. Here in Sweden we formed a Coalition of 32 Swedish NGOs to put pressure on political parties to adopt four measures against racism.

More recently The National Association of Afro-Swedes (Afrosvenskarnas riksförbund) has pushed for a list of 15 demands of special measures for People of African Descent in Sweden. The response to this Agenda has been surprisingly positive, mostly from the Left parties, and especially from the Green Parties, the Left Party and Feminist Initiative.

Feminist initiative might become the world’s first intersectional anti-racist feminist party in a Parliament after the national elections in Sweden now on Sunday, 14 September. A majority of their top candidates are women of colour – such as Victoria Kawesa and Sissela Nordling Blanco, 2 of their 3 top candidates – and they have black feminists to thank for their intersectional approach too.

Greetings from Sweden,

Michael McEachrane