Black Europe in Brussels 2021 | Brussels Centre for Urban Studies

            The online interdisciplinary conference ‘Black Europe in Brussels’ consist of a range of inspiring activities taking place between 1-15 July 2021. The conference brings to the forefront the Afroeuropean communities and Brussels, the capital of Belgium and Europe. It engages with the dynamism emerging from the growing decolonisation movements and their calls for rethinking dominant modes of knowledge production and representation. This is particularly pertinent as Brussels is a cosmopolitan city wherein various transnational diasporic and Afroeuropean communities move, make space and resist. 
          

The conference is interdisciplinary and intersectoral in nature, which is reflected in the series of events focusing on various themes including Afroeuropean arts, Afroeuropean communities and the European Parliament, care and racial inequalities & Black histories. ‘Black Europe in Brussels’ aims to be an academic, activist and intellectual space bridging the boundaries between institutions, practices and epistemologies. This is a conference for, by and with Afroeuropeans with the contributions of their allies and in dialogue with other marginalised communities. This event is part of the international and interdisciplinary Afroeuropeans Network and is organised in anticipation of the 8th Biennial Afroeuropeans Network Conference “Intersectional Challenges in Afroeuropean Communities”, which is postponed to 6-9 July 2022 due to COVID-19.

Programme

Thursday 1 July 2021 | 20:00-20:50 | Launch: Black Brussels (panel discussion)

Convenor: Emma-Lee Amponsah & BLACK SPEAKS BACK
Speakers: Dorrie Wilson, Jean-Luc Rwogera & Modi Ntambwe

Wednesday 7 July 2021 | 15:00-16.30 | Doing Black Art in Brussels (panel discussion)

Convenors: Elisabeth Bekers and Janine Hauthal (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Centre for Literary and Intermedial Crossings), in collaboration with Pilar (VUB House for Arts and Science) and de Buren (Vlaams-Nederlands Huis voor Cultuur en Debat).

Speakers: Ubah Cristina Ali Farah, Wetsi Mpoma, Lisette Ma Neza

Thursday 8 July 2021 | 20:00-20:50 | Black Mental Health & Care in and beyond Covid-19 times w/ Glenn Helberg (panel discussion)

Convenor: Sarah Demart (Observatoire du sida et des sexualités, Université Libre de Bruxelles) in collaboration with BLACK SPEAKS BACK
Speakers: Aline Bosuma, Emmanuelle Nsunda, Marc Galo & Zakayo Wandoloh

Friday 9 July 2021| 14:00-16:00 | Afropolitan Women and Black Europe at the European Parliament | in collaboration with the Afropolitan Festival at Bozar (Brussels) (panel discussion – in English)

Convenor: Olivia Gieskes
in collaboration with BOZAR, ENAR and ARDI
Speakers: Pierrette Gabrielle Herzberger-Fofana, Samira Rafaela, Magid Magid, Ojeaku Nwabuzo (all confirmed)

Thursday 15 July 2021 | 20:00-20:50 | Black Joy (panel discussion)

Convenor: Emma-Lee Amponsah & BLACK SPEAKS BACK
Speakers: Aimee Mukunde, Jean-Gabriel Tshangala Kabote, Kopano Maroga & Sarah Diedro

For more information, check the website.

Organising Committee
Emma-Lee Amponsah, Karel Arnaut, Elisabeth Bekers,
Sarah Demart, Susan Dierickx, Olivia Gieskes, Janine Hauthal,
Lena Imeraj, Ojeaku Nwabuzo, Annelies Verdoolaege