In the new book Afropean- Notes from Black Europe, award-winning writer and photographer Johny Pitts sets out to explore the state of black culture and identity in Europe today. His lively, on-the-ground reporting documents the experiences of different communities, with Pitts travelling from his hometown of Sheffield to a Cape Verdean favela in Lisbon, an anti-Fascist demonstration in Berlin and the former Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow.

Pitts talks to numerous Europeans of African descent who are juggling their multiple allegiances and forging new identities: he meets the lead singer of Zap Mama – a musical ensemble from Belgium whose roots are in African World Music – and Almany Kanoute – a political activist from Clichy-sous-Bois who reveals what’s really changed for black people in Paris since the 2005 riots.

Johny Pitts (@johnypitts) is the founder of Afropean.com, an online user-generated journal which is part of the Guardian’s ‘Africa Network’. Pitts has received various awards for his work exploring African-European identity, including a Decibel Penguin Prize and an ENAR (European Network Against Racism) award. 

Professor Simon Glendinning (@lonanglo) is Head of Department and is Professor of European Philosophy, London School of Economics.

The LSE European Institute (@LSEEI) is a centre for research and graduate teaching on the processes of integration and fragmentation within Europe. In the most recent national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) the Institute was ranked first for research in its sector.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEAfrica

Podcast 

A podcast of this event is available to download from Afropean: notes from black Europe.