Although her narrative sheds light on a painful history of violence and exclusion, it also illuminates the extraordinary achievements and contributions African Europeans have made within European society ... She also adeptly analyzes the subtleties of identity formation, and argues that racist European views about Africans solidified as a result of the Atlantic slave trade and subsequent colonial occupation of Africa ... a well-researched, ambitious, accessible, and concise but comprehensive introduction to this neglected story in European history. Otele’s work moves beyond focusing on the great Black men and women of achievement in Europe to also examine ideas about blackness, identity, community, and memory. In so doing, she compels a rethinking about what we mean by the terms 'African' and 'European.' It therefore compels us to reconsider what we think we know about the past, as well as how we think about European and Western civilization. As a result, African Europeans should advance both public awareness and future scholarship.
Otele’s [...] sweeping new history of Black experiences in Europe asks a big question about the nature of history itself ... Particularly powerful is the way Otele leaps between the centuries to lay bare the 'connections across time and space' that have shaped, and will continue to shape, the identities and lives of African Europeans ... Meticulously researched and beautifully written, this is an essential work of historical scholarship that is highly recommended for all public and academic libraries.
Among the private drawings of the great Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer are two moving likenesses of African Europeans – so vivid and timeless you half expect them to look up and come to life ... As Olivette Otele shows in her fascinating book, there was nothing very exceptional about any of this. By the 16th century, the black presence in European life and culture took many forms, and there was a long history of Africans living on the continent ... Though this is a work of synthesis, it’s an unusually generous and densely layered one. Otele is not just concerned to tell the life stories of her protagonists, but also to follow their changing portrayals after death – as well as explaining how and why they’ve been differently interpreted by generations of previous scholars. To this end, she constantly toggles between different centuries and perspectives. This can seem awkward, but it underlines her central message: what we see in the past, as in the present, is constantly in flux. It depends on our priorities and presumptions. As she argues, providing multiple and more inclusive histories can empower people, and help discredit and dismantle racial injustice in the present.
In this enterprising book, historian Otele provides critical insight into the stories of Africans in Europe ... Though the author maintains a steady, meticulous chronology throughout this well-written, thoughtfully considered book, she wisely leaves room for asynchronous observations when necessary. The breadth and depth of Otele’s research are impressive, as are the vivid characters who populate these pages ... A thorough, dynamic, accessible narrative that pulls together disparate strands into a unique, fresh history.
... a concise scholarly history of the presence of people of African descent in Europe. Covering events from the third century to the present day, Otele contends that Africa and Africans had a greater influence on Europe than is widely known ... Though short on political and socioeconomic context, Otele’s profiles reveal the richness and variety of the African European experience. This is a welcome introduction to an underexplored subject.
