This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Lembit Staan (talk | contribs) at 20:22, 9 September 2021 (→Notable Afro-Polish citizens or residents). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 20:22, 9 September 2021 by Lembit Staan (talk | contribs) (→Notable Afro-Polish citizens or residents)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Ethnic group| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 5,000-20,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Warsaw (Wola), Łódź, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Szczecin | |
| Languages | |
| Polish, French, English | |
| Religion | |
| Islam, Roman Catholicism, Atheism |
Africans in Poland, also known as Afro-Polish (Polish: Afro-Polacy) are citizens or residents of Poland who are of African descent.
History
The origins of the Afro-Polish community are rooted in educational immigration to the Polish People's Republic. The Communist government strongly supported anti-colonial movements in Africa as part of broader Soviet policy. From the 1950s to the 1980s, many Africans emigrated to Poland to pursue their educations. While most African students in Poland returned to their countries of origin, many decided to remain in Poland and acquire citizenship. The contemporary Afro-Polish community is composed of many of these Africans and their descendants.
In 1955, the 5th World Festival of Youth and Students was held in Warsaw. Organized by the leftist, anti-imperialist World Federation of Democratic Youth, the festival invited thousands of delegates from around the world, including almost 1,000 Africans. The Communist leadership of Poland wished to express solidarity and promote socialism to Africans from colonized nations. This was one of the earliest Polish encounters with non-white people following the end of the multicultural and multiethnic Second Polish Republic following World War II. The Polish Press Agency was given the task of documenting the African visitors, which began an ongoing series of Polish press photography depicting African visitors and residents of Poland.
Notable Afro-Polish citizens or residents
- Mamadou Diouf – Senegalese-born musician
- Władysław Franciszek Jabłonowski – Polish-born Napoleonic General of English and African descent
- Abdulcadir Gabeire Farah – Somalian-born historian and social activist.
- Eduard von Feuchtersleben - Engineer and writer
- John Godson – Nigerian-born Civic Platform member of the Sejm
- Maxwell Itoya – Nigerian immigrant in Poland, who was killed in a police raid on a flea market.
- Patricia Kazadi – Polish-born actress of Congolese descent
- Krystian Legierski - LGBT activist, Mauritanian father
- Omenaa Mensah – Polish-born TV presenter of Ghanaian descent
- Simon Mol - Cameroonian anti-racism activist arrested for knowingly spreading HIV virus
- Killion Munyama – Zambian-born Polish People's Party member of the Sejm
- August Agbola O'Browne - Jazz drummer, Polish resistance member
- Yared Shegumo – Ethiopian-born distance runner, who specializes in the Marathon
- Patrycja Soliman - Actress, Egyptian father
- Aleksandra Szwed – Polish-born actress of Nigerian descent
- Ifi Ude – Nigerian-born singer
Sportsmen
- Babatunde Aiyegbusi – Polish-born professional wrestler of Nigerian descent
- Michael Ameyaw - Footballer of Ghanean descent
- Ishmael Baidoo - Ghanean footballer
- Ferdinand Chi Fon - Cameroon-born retired footballer
- Martins Ekwueme - Nigerian footballer
- Sofia Ennaoui - Athlete, Moroccan father
- Kelechi Iheanacho - Nigerian footballer
- Benjamin Imeh - Nigerian footballer
- Maxwell Kalu - Nigerian footballer
- Thomas Kelati - Basketball player of Eritrean heritage
- Tafara Madembo - Footballer of Zimbabwean descent
- Alain Ngamayama - Footballer of Congolese descent
- Emmanuel Olisadebe - Nigerian-born footballer
- Natalia Padilla - Footballer of Moroccan descent
- Artur Partyka - Former high jumper, Algerian father
- A. J. Slaughter - Basketball player
- Mouhamadou Traoré - Senegalese footballer
- Stanley Udenkwor - Former footballer of Nigerian descent
- Izu Ugonoh – Polish-born boxer of Nigerian descent
See also
Notes
- Polish: Afropolacy
References
- "Valid documents". Retrieved 2021-06-06.
- "Poland: Sub-Saharan Africans and the struggle for acceptance". Minority Rights Group International. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
- "Afro-Poland: a revolutionary friendship, captured in rare photographs from 1955-1989". The Calvert Journal. Retrieved 2020-08-27.