Most of the time if not all – we only deal with them when someone from the community “stands out” for them. When it becomes a symbol of success.

Greeks of African descent, however, have achieved something very important: they have adopted Greek culture, while at the same time still honoring their African roots. They see the world through different cultural lenses and that makes them unique.

These “unknown” Greeks opened their homes, workplaces and churches to the Prime Time camera and to Maria Voussoulou and talked about the past, present and future in a country they love but often stands in their way .

We met Godfrey on Sunday afternoon at the Catholic Church of St. Theresa in Kypseli.

He is the conductor of the choir. If you carefully observe the way in which they express their religious feeling you will understand that it is a deeply personal but at the same time collective characteristic, which helps them to maintain their roots while integrating into the new homeland.

Marianthi took her first steps in Kypseli in 1991.

Her parents left Nigeria in the 80s to come to Greece.

Their luggage was full of dreams for studies. The difficulties, however, are many… They did not study, but worked as peddlers, and managed to create a close-knit family with children and grandchildren.

Mahmoud he welcomed us to the aviation general hospital 251…

There, we had the opportunity to watch him at work. He is a specialist cardiology doctor and works diligently alongside his colleagues, who seem to hold him in high esteem. Originally from Sudan, 39-year-old Mahmoud studied medicine in Athens and from what he told us, he could never imagine his life outside of Greece.

Nikodimos was born in Kenya, but grew up in Kalymnos.

The challenges for second-generation immigrants in Greece are many… that’s why, as soon as he arrives in Athens, he creates Asante, an organization that mainly deals with the integration of Africans into Greek society.

The first organized wave of immigrants from Africa arrived in Athens in 1970 and chose the center as the starting point of their new life.

Kypseli, Metaxourgeio, Sepolia, Patisia, learned to dance to reggae and afrobeat rhythms… The fabrics with bright colors and geometric patterns gave and still give a note of joy to these areas, while the African cuisine gives special tastes and smells… which spread outside the center… Over the years, of course, the Greek element enters life for good and cooking in many African families is now based on Greek recipes.

What impresses you as soon as you meet them beyond the wide smile is their multifaceted talent… one would call it inexhaustible and how could it not be since they develop into creators who bridge different musical genres and beyond, offering to shared a shocking result, like the most recognizable Jerome Kaluta and Indra Kane… Gerasimos and Katerina in the world!

MC Yinka

His presence in the modern Greek music scene is intense, his speech even stronger in the public sphere… MC Yinka, known for his multidimensional musical identity, turns back in time, and describes how he started his career… then that most still called him Manolis and he was studying electronics.

Racism

Although in recent years Greek society shows that it has taken steps towards accepting multiculturalism, Greeks of African descent continue to face discrimination and prejudices that affect their daily lives, as well as their participation in public life. The incidents of racism are many and mostly sad…

Bureaucracy

Let’s be honest, in this country, no one, no one wants to be entangled in bureaucratic cogs… Not even the Greeks of African origin apparently… Their naturalization is a particularly time-consuming issue, despite the legislative improvements that have been done in recent years. The process of obtaining Greek citizenship – as they explain to us – is often accompanied by long delays and strict criteria.

Afro-Greeks of Xanthi

Where did you find us in the mercy of God… This was the first conversation we heard from the residents of Avato, a village a few kilometers outside of Xanthi… The protagonists of this story do not know their real roots, but – like us they say – now it doesn’t matter at all. History says that they came to Greece from Africa during the Ottoman Empire as slaves. Over the years they integrated to a large extent into Greek society, which is why the only homeland they know is ours.

During our mission in Xanthi we tried to find more information about the life of these people with the help of professors who have systematically dealt with this topic.

Love Stories

And what would our world be without love stories… Stories with protagonists who have resistance to difficulties and above all highlight the beauty of coexistence, paraphrase the popular saying that love is not a color and move forward….

A life full of obstacles and challenges but if we think about how many there are and the moments of triumph we will discover the enormous power of the human will with the Greeks of African origin undoubtedly being an integral part of the social fabric.