Series to Focus on Africana Diaspora Experience

04/12/2017 

Series to Focus on Africana Diaspora Experience

During April, a series of events continues at SUNY Cortland featuring stories of the Africana diaspora in Germany and Austria.

Planned through May 1, the “Afro-Europe” series continues the College’s Project on Eastern and Central Europe Spring 2017 program.

The four films in the series were provided by or purchased from the Goethe Institute, the DEFA Film Library in Amherst, Third World Newsreel, Calendar Films and Florida State University.

The talks will explore topics such as the experiences of black Europeans with the expanding Black Lives Matter movement and the impact of imperialism, fascism and communism on past and current relationships with the Africana world.

"The topic is very timely, given the refugee crisis and growing anti-immigrant sentiments,” said Scott Moranda, associate professor of history. “It is important to recognize that the United States is not the only country receiving large numbers of immigrants and refugees. In fact, some European countries are home to more recent immigrants relative to their total population than here in the U.S.

“These films and talks explore the long history of racism and anti-immigrant fears in other parts of the West, but they also offer human stories that help us better empathize with groups fleeing violence or economic chaos.”

Events will continue Monday, April 24, with a screening of the widely shown 2008 movie, “Adele’s Wish,” which tells the controversial story behind the world’s most valuable painting, the “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I” by Gustav Klimt.

The film recounts the struggle of 92-year-old Los Angeles resident Maria Altmann, who sued Austria to recover five Klimt paintings stolen from her family in Vienna by the Nazis in 1938. The program, which begins at 7 p.m. in Sperry Center, Room 106, is part of Holocaust Remembrance Day. Preceding the film will be a brief presentation about the Nazi war on so-called “degenerate” art and music.

On Wednesday, April 26, two films will be shared focusing on the Nazi racial state, the Holocaust and Afro-Germans. The screening — of the 2011 film “Our Rhineland” and the 2013 “Majub’s Reise” — will begin at 7 p.m. in Sperry Center, Room 106,

The series concludes on Monday, May 1, with a discussion of the book, “African Footballers in Europe,” by author Carl-Gustaf Scott. His presentation will begin at 4:30 p.m. in Brockway Hall Jacobus Lounge.

Scott, who received his Ph.D. in modern European history from the University of Wisconsin, employs men’s professional soccer as a lens through which to investigate questions relating to immigration, racism, integration and national identity in present-day Sweden. 

“The last event of the semester will be a great for our students in sport management or other majors related to athletics,” Moranda said.

“Dr. Scott will discuss the economic motivations of European soccer clubs as they recruit professionals from Africa. While we often hear about big stars such as Didier Drogba, Michael Essien or Yaya Touré,  most African professional athletes play in less glamorous leagues such as Sweden or Denmark for small clubs struggling financially. Those clubs are looking to find ‘diamonds in the rough’ on the cheap. He also explains the consequences of these sport management and business decisions for the players.”

This series is made possible through a grant from the Auxiliary Services Corporation with additional support and collaboration from Africana Studies, Center for Gender and Intercultural Studies, Jewish Studies, Campus Artist and Lecture Series, and the Clark Center for Global Engagement.

For more information, contact Moranda at 607-753-2052.

Prepared by Communications Office writing intern Jamie Winsper