Long before modern migration, the African presence in Europe has been part of a long history, documented as far back as antiquity. On the occasion of the first MansA Research Breakfast, held on February 5, 2026, Elgas offers a historical overview, drawing in particular on the work of Dieudonné Gnammankou, to examine the diversity of African diasporas, their transformations, and the political and identity-related challenges they face today.
By Elgas
Published on 02/25/2026
This discussion paints a picture, from antiquity onward and based on the work of historians, of the African and Black presence in Europe. From ancient Greece to the present day, an examination of these historical flows reveals, through the writings of philosophers (Herodotus, Homer, etc.) as well as through various works of art and depictions, the presence of soldiers, popes, and scholars from Africa. This initial phase is followed by multiple waves of migration: linked to the Arab conquest of the Arabian Peninsula, the trans-Saharan slave trade, and the transatlantic slave trade. The “diasporas” (the plural seems appropriate) that formed as a result stem from the diversity of these movements and their evolution over time.
Based on the work of Beninese historian Dieudonné Gnammankou, as presented in *Afrique, mémoires d’un continent*, the presentation was organized into four sections. First, a chronology of this African presence, followed by profiles, geography, and destinies. This was followed by a section on the Arab-Muslim conquest of Southern Spain and the transatlantic slave trade. These two indicators—as both historical and chronological markers—helped establish the framework for a very ancient, multifaceted presence, far removed from the notion that the transatlantic slave trade alone serves as an essentialist explanation for the Black presence in Europe. That said, slavery is of course an important chapter in this presence and was addressed. The concept of “diaspora” was debated, contrasted with the Jewish and Chinese diasporas, and African migration beginning in the 1950s provided a conclusion to this overview of major shifts in the demographic profile of African populations in Europe. The discussion also explored issues related to the production of resources on this history, the role of researchers, MansA’s role in disseminating this knowledge, and the perception of diasporas from the perspective of Africa. A picture that is, of course, far from exhaustive.
African diasporas in Europe have a long history, and the broader challenges of their integration have evolved significantly. From legislative frameworks that were alternately racist and restrictive—preceding the momentum of abolition and its lingering effects—to questions about belonging within national narratives, in various European countries, people of African descent face contexts that are often hostile yet have always been tamed and transformed through numerous struggles. This is the case, for example, with the challenges of teaching about colonialism in France. After the inglorious era of monolithic textbooks like the Malet and Isaac, it is interesting to observe how the 1970s and their liberating spirit spurred a dynamic that a more substantial transformation would reinforce with pivotal moments such as 1983, the March for Equality, or the Social Uprisings of 2005. A sign that the cyclical goes hand in hand with the structural; that schools can echo the intense debates shaking up society and the political arena.
There is still much work to be done. Diasporas must confront a problem inherent to displacement, departure, and dispersion: that of identity crisis, the discomfort of being caught in between. Both a source of richness and a burden, this reality makes African diasporas in Europe a vehicle for diverse riches—precious to their continent of origin—but also the object of suspicion, even mistrust, which compound a context of growing right-wing politics in their countries of birth, and indeed their countries period, where the certainty of their belonging is not always a given.
¶ El Hadj Souleymane Gassama, known as Elgas, is a journalist, writer, and research associate at IRIS (Institute for International and Strategic Relations). He produces the radio program *Afrique, mémoires d’un continent* on RFI (Radio France Internationale). He is the author of several books (novels, essays, biographies), the most recent of which is *Les bons ressentiments* (Riveneuve, 2023).
