Reflections From Europe | We Still Have A Dream

28th August 2013, marks the 50th anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King Jr.’s emphatic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. Standing symbolically on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr King eloquently articulated his hopes for a post racial America, forcing the nation to explore its moral conscience in front of the world. His speech, and the ‘March on Washington for jobs and people’, where he delivered it, invigorated a momentous wave of successful organized protest, that challenged segments of America’s racialised and unjust legal system.

His hopes were contextualized within the brutal history of slavery and oppression, which African Americans still experienced 50 years after the Declaration for Emancipation. His dreams challenged the political establishment to address their failure to uphold the constitution which guarantees "inalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" to all. His vision forced Americans to question their complicity in the inhumane and abhorrent treatment of their fellow countrymen and women. Above all perhaps, his speech reflected his desire for America to become a post racial society, notably rooted in the Christian rhetoric of his speech. He viewed all people as brothers and sisters in Christ, and envisioned humanity as the unifying link between Americans.

50 years on, and across the pond, Yaaya reflects on how far racial equality has been achieved in Europe. Make no mistake; Europe also has a shameful history of racially marginalizing and oppressing groups of people. From the systematic extermination of Jews in Germany in the 1930s and 40s, to the refusal by British Landlords to African Caribbean and Irish people in the 1950s and 60s, and the massacre of Bosnian Muslims in the 1990s, we too have experienced our fair share of intolerance, racial violence and bigotry.

Such episodes of racism however, have become more frequent in present day Europe, and even more worryingly - supported by government authorities. In Switzerland, local authorities,have banned asylum seekers from frequenting public spaces such as swimming pools and libraries, mirroring Jim Crow legislation of the American South.In Italy, Cecile Kyenge the country’s first black minister, recently had bananas thrown at her while giving a speech, and in the world of sport, racist chanting and costumes at Italian, Polish and Russian football games in particular, have illustrated the endemic nature of racism in the football culture of some nations.

Twitter and other social media platforms have been instrumental in highlighting and debating these racist acts, which has prompted Yaaya to ask: What is the cause of the increase in xenophobic and racist sentiment in Europe? The ENAR (European Network Against Racism) which researches racism in Europe, attributes the recent rise of racism in Europe to the Eurozone crisis. In a plethora of European countries, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are routinely used as scapegoats for job losses, accused of abusing the welfare state and unfairly benefiting from social services. In addition, the embrace of xenophobia and racism are also fuelled by propaganda about the cultural and religious threats ‘outsiders’ pose to the status quo of European nations.

In Hungary for example, the far right Jobbik Party, espoused anti-Semitic views, by protesting against the World Jewish Congress holding a meeting in Budapest. How did they do this? By accusing Israel is of wanting to buy up large tracts of Hungarian land. Such parties often exploit social despair or current malaise amongst its population, in order to conjure up support for votes as evidenced by the Jobbik party. In Greece, the hardest hit country by the Eurozone crisis, the Nazi influenced Golden Dawn Party has been linked to the rise of serious racist incidents. Moreover, The Nazi-inspired movement has also seen its support almost double in comparison to previous years, to 11 -12 %.

In Northern Europe, where many nations are financially better off than their Southern and Eastern neighbours, high profile incidents of xenophobia and racism have also reared its ugly head. Anti-immigration vans recently drove through ethnic minority concentrated areas in London, and the implementation of £3000 Visa bonds for visitors from “at risk countries” illustrate the archaic approach to immigration policy in the U.K. In France, a nation with a substantial African and Arab population, the new Justice Minister- Christiane Taubira-Delannon was recently portrayed as a Gorilla by anti-gay marriage protesters. Lastly,economic integration still remains stubborn hurdle for ethnic minority groups to overcome throughout Europe. High levels of unemployment and underemployment amongst visible minorities are significantly high in comparison to the indigenous European populace. For example in the U.K, half of young black men aged 16-24 were unemployed in 2012.

Europe’s recent revival of high profile racist episodes however should not diminish the fact that we have also made some progress. In terms of political representation, ethnic minorities are slowly but steadily becoming part of the decision making process in European Parliaments. In the U.K, Kwasi Kwarteng, Chuka Umunna, Diane Abbot, Adam Afreyie, Sadiq Khan and Rushanara Ali are some of the 28 non- white MPs in Parliament. In less ethnically diverse countries, political participation is also taking place, albeit at a slower pace. John Abrahams Godson, is Poland’s first black MP, Slovenia elected a Ghanaian mayor called Dr Peter Bossman, and Russia elected its first black politician in the shape of Jean Gregoire Sagbo , who is originally from Benin.

In addition, many European countries such as Greece are documenting and reporting racial attacks and other forms of racial abuse through the Racist Violence Recording Network. In addition, in the U.K, the Equality and Human Rights Commission,"have a statutory remit to promote and monitor human rights; and to protect, enforce and promote equality across the nine "protected" grounds." These grounds include: age, disability, gender, race, religion and belief, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, sexual orientation and gender reassignment.

Socially, levels of integration are also improving. Some of Europe’s most visible minorities in cities such as: London, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Berlin, Paris and Oslo, are participating fully in their respective countries societies. They are either small business owners, employees in multinational establishments, experienced taxi drivers, university students, media personalities, sportsmen and women and famous musicians. Other examples of progress can be seen in anti-discrimination laws that many European nations have passed nationally, and adopted as part of their membership to the E.U. The Racial Equality Directive (2000/43) and the Employment Equality Directive (2000/78) are the two pieces of E.U legislation that are meant to protect ethnic and religious minorities, migrant workers etc from discrimination.

Dr King’s dream is ultimately still a dream, as racial inequalities and bigotry still remain global social policy and political challenges. We hope that after another 50 years have passed, Europe’s progress will not represent piecemeal change, but a substantial transformation.

Video Source |Youtube