Africa No Filter Presents: A Conversation About Being African in the Diaspora

What is it like being a young African person in the diaspora? Join the Africa No Filter Presents: A Conversation About Being African in the Diaspora webinar on Thursday, 15 February 2024 at 16:00 GMT to unpack findings from our latest research report, Being African: How Young Africans Experience the Diaspora. 

According to the latest available figures on foreign-born Africans, there are more than 619 000 in France, 1.2 million in the UK and 2.1 million in the US. Given the many stereotypical narratives about Africa, ANF set out to investigate how these narratives were impacting on perceptions about Africa among diasporic youth, and on their identity and sense of belonging in the three countries.  

The report found that diasporic African youths experience different types of discrimination, are often marginalized, and do not have equal access to government services and resources compared to other racial groups. However, they’re not victimized by their negative experiences. Instead, they have a unique double heritage that makes them proud of African languages, food, music, and history, while also strongly relating to the language and culture of their host country. They grapple with exoticization in France, microaggressions in the UK, and surveillance and profiling in the US. They also have a unique double heritage that makes them proud of African languages, food, music, and history.

Join Africa No Filter Presents: A Conversation About Being African in the Diaspora to unpack findings from the report and hear what experts have to say about the role of mainstream news in perpetuating stereotypical narratives of Africa in the diaspora. They will also discuss dual identities that come with being African in the diaspora, the role of Africa’s soft power in creating alternative narratives about the continent, and how this has impacted diasporic communities. The conversation will also discuss policy and other recommendations that African governments and host countries should consider implementing to tap into the potential and influence of young Africans in the diaspora.

Nigerian-born, London-raised author, director, and podcaster Kelechi Okafor will moderate the conversation. Panelists are Professor Wallace Chuma, report co-author and  Associate Professor of Media Studies at the University of Cape Town; Founder and CEO of the Diaspora African Women's Network  Semhar Araia; Almaz Negaz, the Founder of the African Diaspora Network and an inaugural member of President Biden’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States; and Olu Alake, the CEO of The Africa Centre, a trustee at The Reader Organisation and a fellow at The RSA, a global network of change-makers and innovators.

See you on Thursday, 15 February 2024

Time: 11 am ET. 4 pm GMT. 5 pm WAT. 6 pm SAST. 7 pm EAT.