Mobilizing History: Racism, Enslavement and Public Debate in Contemporary Europe

Abstract

This chapter engages the politics of remembrance and forgetfulness associated with European colonialism, shedding light on the relationship between race, history and memory. More specifically it addresses the mobilization of colonial history in public initiatives and in Black movements, mediated by different understandings of (anti-)racism in Europe. The discussion is grounded in two examples: (1) A public history initiative, the exhibition ‘Racism and Citizenship’ held in Lisbon in the context of recent anti-racist struggles surrounding the history and memory of Portuguese colonialism; (2) Black mobilization for the memorialization of enslavement and its legacy in the Netherlands, within the context of political developments and policy targeting former colonial subjects. We conclude by highlighting the key role of Black movements in undoing historical silences, shaping collective memory and national imaginaries.