The Black Europe Symposium 2023: Who Defines Blackness?
By Allyson Hamzey
A Somali Italian poet. A Parisian writer, poet, and philosopher. A Liberian Italian singer, rapper, dancer, writer, activist, and beats-maker. A Senegalese and Mauritanian artist and film director. A literary translation expert who has translated various Italian works into English.
What do these artists have in common?
These are the five diverse talented artists featured at the Black Europe Symposium event on March 23 and 24 at Loyola University Chicago’s campuses. The five speakers flew in from New York City and Italy, France, and Belgium for the global symposium. Through the many buzzing exchanges in Italian, French, and English amidst the two-day event, one thing remained clear — that the participants found commonality in not just shared languages, but a commitment to an anti-racist future.
The symposium offered a space to reflect on the versatile identities of "African," "European," and "Blackness" in the context of today’s Europe and United States. Through the course of the two-day symposium, over 100 people gathered to celebrate Blackness in its vibrant global expressions and lived experiences. The event, organized by the Modern Languages and Modern Literatures department, was co-sponsored by the Institute for Racial Justice and the College of Arts and Sciences, among others in the Chicago area, like the Istituto Italiano di Cultura.
“Who defines Europe?” was among the first questions posed to the audience by event co-host and Assistant Professor of Francophone Literature, Eliana Văgălău.
The Galvin Auditorium was full on Thursday night with intrigued viewers who gathered to watch The Blue House, a film by Hamedine Kane, who is a Senegalese and Mauritanian artist and film director. The film shared the first-hand experience of Kane in a refugee and migrant camp near Calais, France. Kane virtually participated in a Q&A with event participants after the viewing,,
“Blackness may look different, but it’s the same no matter where you go,” said the Founding Dean of the Institute for Racial Justice, Malik S. Henfield, on the opening night of the symposium.
“Blackness may look different, but it’s the same no matter where you go,” said the Founding Dean of the Institute for Racial Justice, Malik S. Henfield, on the opening night of the symposium.
On Friday, an open forum was conducted to continue the fluid discussion around Blackness. The guests on the panel discussion included translator Hope Campbell Gustafson, and authors, Ubah Cristina Ali Farah, Néhémy Pierre-Dahomey, and artist Anna Maria Gehnyei (known as Karima 2G) at the Schreiber Center.
.png "Crowd photo at the BES")
“There is a lack of equity in published literature that stops us from understanding Blackness in its multiplicities,” said Campbell Gustafson.
“Black Europeans can feel invisible,” said event co-host and Assistant Professor of Italian Studies and head of the Italian Program in the Modern Languages and Literatures Department, Cristina Lombardi-Diop. “Italians think that they’re color blind, that racism is not an issue [in their country.]”
Although author Ali Farah grew up with Somali and Italian as her mother tongue languages, Italians are frequently still surprised by her fluency of the Italian language, said Hope Gustafson, the translator of Ali Farah’s recent book, Commander of the River.
.png "Ubah Cristina Ali Farah reading her book.")
Photo of Ubah Cristina Ali Farah.
Black Italians are reclaiming their voice, said Lombardi-Diop. This comes from a second generation of Italians who refuse to be considered as immigrants, she said. Artist Karima 2G is proof of this resistance.
“The second generations are not recognized by the Italian government,” said Karima 2G. “According to Italian law, those who were born by immigrant parents have to wait until they reach the legal age, which is 18 years old to apply for legal Italian citizenship — but that doesn’t mean they’ll get the citizenship.”
.png "BES panel.")
Photo of Karima 2G speaking at the panel amongst fellow panelists and the event hosts.
“Those who are second generation are not just those who are born by immigrant parents, but those who are also migrants, and refugees as well – we are all put in the same box. That creates a sort of negation,” she said.
The impact on Black Italians who aren’t granted citizenship takes a toll. Migration and belonging were additional key themes highlighted at the symposium by the speakers.
“Being a second generation is looking for your roots, looking for a sense of belonging, which is not so simple for many of us,” Karima 2G added.
Author Pierre-Dahomey's work explores similar themes of resistance, specifically around Haiti being the first Black republic and the ancestral struggles that follow.
During the Q&A, a member of the audience asked the artists what they would take with them after this event at Loyola University. Pierre-Dahomey shared an inspiring experience he had while traveling abroad, wishing that this experience at Loyola would inspire him in the writing process for his next novel.
The event closed off in a triumphant manner at the Heaven Gallery in Wicker Park.
There, artist Karima 2G performed a dynamic DJ set for event attendees with enrapturing dance moves against the backdrop of her activism-centered music videos. Her art is designed to bring attention to anti-Blackness and second-generation Europeans.
.png "BES DJ set featuring Karima 2G.")
Photo of Karima 2G.
“I don’t think I do politics. I think I am politics,” said Karima 2G.
United by an artistic dedication to understanding the complexities of Blackness, the speakers left the following question for Ramblers to reflect on:
What is Blackness and how can art aid in resistance against anti-Blackness?
Photo by Harry Figiel.
To partner in actionable anti-racist solutions at Loyola University Chicago, learn more about getting involved at the Institute for Racial Justice’s page here.
To become more involved with the Modern Languages and Literatures department at Loyola University Chicago, please visit here.
This event was made possible by the generous support of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, the Institute for Racial Justice, the College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office, the Provost’s Office, the Interdisciplinary Honors Program, and the Global Studies Program, as well as the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago. It has also benefited from partnerships with the Alliance française de Chicago and the Consulate General of France in Chicago.
By Allyson Hamzey
A Somali Italian poet. A Parisian writer, poet, and philosopher. A Liberian Italian singer, rapper, dancer, writer, activist, and beats-maker. A Senegalese and Mauritanian artist and film director. A literary translation expert who has translated various Italian works into English.
What do these artists have in common?
These are the five diverse talented artists featured at the Black Europe Symposium event on March 23 and 24 at Loyola University Chicago’s campuses. The five speakers flew in from New York City and Italy, France, and Belgium for the global symposium. Through the many buzzing exchanges in Italian, French, and English amidst the two-day event, one thing remained clear — that the participants found commonality in not just shared languages, but a commitment to an anti-racist future.
The symposium offered a space to reflect on the versatile identities of "African," "European," and "Blackness" in the context of today’s Europe and United States. Through the course of the two-day symposium, over 100 people gathered to celebrate Blackness in its vibrant global expressions and lived experiences. The event, organized by the Modern Languages and Modern Literatures department, was co-sponsored by the Institute for Racial Justice and the College of Arts and Sciences, among others in the Chicago area, like the Istituto Italiano di Cultura.
“Who defines Europe?” was among the first questions posed to the audience by event co-host and Assistant Professor of Francophone Literature, Eliana Văgălău.
The Galvin Auditorium was full on Thursday night with intrigued viewers who gathered to watch The Blue House, a film by Hamedine Kane, who is a Senegalese and Mauritanian artist and film director. The film shared the first-hand experience of Kane in a refugee and migrant camp near Calais, France. Kane virtually participated in a Q&A with event participants after the viewing,,
“Blackness may look different, but it’s the same no matter where you go,” said the Founding Dean of the Institute for Racial Justice, Malik S. Henfield, on the opening night of the symposium.
On Friday, an open forum was conducted to continue the fluid discussion around Blackness. The guests on the panel discussion included translator Hope Campbell Gustafson, and authors, Ubah Cristina Ali Farah, Néhémy Pierre-Dahomey, and artist Anna Maria Gehnyei (known as Karima 2G) at the Schreiber Center.
“There is a lack of equity in published literature that stops us from understanding Blackness in its multiplicities,” said Campbell Gustafson.
“Black Europeans can feel invisible,” said event co-host and Assistant Professor of Italian Studies and head of the Italian Program in the Modern Languages and Literatures Department, Cristina Lombardi-Diop. “Italians think that they’re color blind, that racism is not an issue [in their country.]”
Although author Ali Farah grew up with Somali and Italian as her mother tongue languages, Italians are frequently still surprised by her fluency of the Italian language, said Hope Gustafson, the translator of Ali Farah’s recent book, Commander of the River.
Photo of Ubah Cristina Ali Farah.
Black Italians are reclaiming their voice, said Lombardi-Diop. This comes from a second generation of Italians who refuse to be considered as immigrants, she said. Artist Karima 2G is proof of this resistance.
“The second generations are not recognized by the Italian government,” said Karima 2G. “According to Italian law, those who were born by immigrant parents have to wait until they reach the legal age, which is 18 years old to apply for legal Italian citizenship — but that doesn’t mean they’ll get the citizenship.”
Photo of Karima 2G speaking at the panel amongst fellow panelists and the event hosts.
“Those who are second generation are not just those who are born by immigrant parents, but those who are also migrants, and refugees as well – we are all put in the same box. That creates a sort of negation,” she said.
The impact on Black Italians who aren’t granted citizenship takes a toll. Migration and belonging were additional key themes highlighted at the symposium by the speakers.
“Being a second generation is looking for your roots, looking for a sense of belonging, which is not so simple for many of us,” Karima 2G added.
Author Pierre-Dahomey's work explores similar themes of resistance, specifically around Haiti being the first Black republic and the ancestral struggles that follow.
During the Q&A, a member of the audience asked the artists what they would take with them after this event at Loyola University. Pierre-Dahomey shared an inspiring experience he had while traveling abroad, wishing that this experience at Loyola would inspire him in the writing process for his next novel.
The event closed off in a triumphant manner at the Heaven Gallery in Wicker Park.
There, artist Karima 2G performed a dynamic DJ set for event attendees with enrapturing dance moves against the backdrop of her activism-centered music videos. Her art is designed to bring attention to anti-Blackness and second-generation Europeans.
Photo of Karima 2G.
“I don’t think I do politics. I think I am politics,” said Karima 2G.
United by an artistic dedication to understanding the complexities of Blackness, the speakers left the following question for Ramblers to reflect on:
What is Blackness and how can art aid in resistance against anti-Blackness?
Photo by Harry Figiel.
To partner in actionable anti-racist solutions at Loyola University Chicago, learn more about getting involved at the Institute for Racial Justice’s page here.
To become more involved with the Modern Languages and Literatures department at Loyola University Chicago, please visit here.
This event was made possible by the generous support of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, the Institute for Racial Justice, the College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office, the Provost’s Office, the Interdisciplinary Honors Program, and the Global Studies Program, as well as the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago. It has also benefited from partnerships with the Alliance française de Chicago and the Consulate General of France in Chicago.