#blackineurope

[blkinzurich]

[blackgirlzineams]

Call for Submissions

The last 10 years have been a rollercoaster with new highs, squeaky bolts and loose belts. There were new waves that (re)claimed our spaces and floods of violence questioning, sometimes even challenging our humanity. The realities - joys, sorrows and everything in between) of being Black in the Netherlands need and deserve to be told.

We’re putting together a zine and want you in it! f you’d like to share your writing, drawings, poetry, essays, comics, interviews, or photographs about your experiences this call is for you. 

Topics

Joy and other forms of selfcare

Heritage and belonging

Blackness outside of the Randstad (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and their nearby areas)

The way anti-Blackness within Muslim communities excludes Black Muslims from mainstream conversations about anti-Islam terror by white-Dutch rightwingers

Colourism within Black, NL-based diaspora’s

The exclusion of Black refugees from mainstream stories about and activism focused on refugees in NL

Raising Black kids in NL (we’re looking for the perspectives of parents but also of aunties, uncles, teachers and other professionals who work with kids)

Love, dating and relationships

Representation of Black people in Dutch films, series and/or fashion magazines or news

Black sexuality

Black in Dutch academia

Creating communities and safe spaces

Blackity Blackness within the Dutch social media arena’

We’re also accepting listicles! Here are some examples:

Black owned restaurants

Books

Questions you’re tired of and other things you don’t want to hear.

10 things not to say to a black woman

Editorial guidelines

Lists should have 10-15 points

Word count: 150-500 word

E-mail your piece(s) to blackgirlzineams@gmail.com before January 31, 2017.

[soiliveinamsterdamnow]

A wrote an article for The Black Expat a while ago. It was about my journey raising a Black American boy in Europe. For some crazy reason they wanted to hear me blab more about this and featured me and the famalam in their new video series: The Journey. 

Check us out and watch their other videos! There’s one on Amsterdam Black Women, the collective I cofounded. I also highly recommend the video featuring my expat homie Dana Saxon; cofounder of Ancestors Unknown. 

Enjoy!

[babygirlwiththedimple]

Waiting for someone and I saw these two girls with amazing Afro puffs. Had to snap this pic 😍 #blackineurope #afrohair #london #londoner #sightseeing (at Baker Street)

[jonnybonny]

Something about this took my breath away a little bit #Antwerpen #gayadventures #blackineurope

[naomao]

sad puppy looks ✨

[sadnessimyourgirrl]

[blkinzurich]

Welcome to Black in Zürich: A Black Multiracial Family's First Year in Zürich

Introduction

Hello and welcome to Black in Zürich! I’m N, a proud Black mom of four beautiful souls aged 17, 14, 5, and 3, and the wife to my incredible partner, J, who is white. Originally from the United States, we’ve recently taken a leap of faith to move our family to Zürich, Switzerland, because of J's new job opportunity.

Why This Blog?

Starting this blog felt like a necessary step to document our family's journey—a transition not just of place but also of culture, social dynamics, and a multiracial family's experience in a predominantly white European country. My hope is that this space becomes a place of support, inspiration, and a resource for other families who are navigating similar life changes, particularly those who come from multicultural, multiracial backgrounds.

The Crew

Let's talk about our amazing kids. Our 17-year-old, A, is into digital art, drawing and has started looking into universities—both in the States and in Europe. The 14-year-old, N, is sports-obsessed and already scouting basketball clubs in Zürich. Then there's our spunky 5-year-old, G, who is enamored with all things nature and pink. And finally, we have our 3-year-old, I, who's just excited to be here (or anywhere, really). Each of them is processing this move in their unique ways, which I’ll delve into in future posts.

The Culture Shift

One of the reasons we took this plunge is the promise of a higher quality of life and excellent education for our kids. But we're not naive; we understand that Switzerland is very different from America, not just in language but also in terms of cultural nuances and racial dynamics. We know that our multicultural family might raise eyebrows or spark curiosity, but we are here to embrace the change while staying true to our roots.

What to Expect?

In this blog, I’ll share everything from our experiences in navigating the Swiss educational system for both teens and preschoolers, to the ways we're adjusting to Swiss culture while maintaining our African American heritage. I'll also discuss marriage and partnership across racial lines in a foreign land, budgeting for a family of six in one of the most expensive cities in the world, and all the joys and challenges that come with this expat life.

Thank you for joining us on this adventure. We're thrilled to share our ups, downs, and everything in-between as we navigate this new chapter of Our Swiss Life.

So sit back, grab a cup of tea (or wine, no judgments here!), and let’s take this journey together.

Cheers to new beginnings! 🇨🇭❤️🇺🇸

[digimonfanclub-blog]

i didn’t rely kno which one 2 chose and am feeling kinda vain so here's six for #blackout

[soiliveinamsterdamnow]

Family Trip: Southern Italy

At the end of September my mom and her husband Kevin came to visit us. When booking someplace for them to stay at first I looked for an Air BnB but when I couldn’t find anything affordable I settled on the Lloyd Hotel which turned out to be perfect. It’s literally across the street, has it’s own restaurant and is close to 2 tram lines. These are suburban folks who are not accustomed to having to walk and need to have coffee first thing in the morning - I didn’t want these to become chores for me. 

Just across the way from the Lloyd Hotel is Anne and Max, a super cute cafe where they serve coffee, breakfast and other yummies. 

Their first full day here we went out to Olmenhorst Landgoed is a farm located about half an hour south of Amsterdam where you can pick your own apples and pears. 

After hanging out in Amsterdam for a couple days we flew out to Southern Italy for a few days of sunshine. 

Since the trip was planned last minute we selected out location based on where we could fly to the cheapest. We knew we wanted to go to Italy and because the flights were cheapest, we flew into Naples and booked a house in Pompeii (also because of price). 

Our first night in Pompeii we ate some of the best freaking pizza I’ve ever had in all my life. The dough, the sauce, the cheese everything was just perfection. I’ve never had pizza crust that delicious. 

Day 1

I need to say now without shame that I knew nothing about the volcanic eruption that happened in Pompeii nor did I know anything about the ruins when I booked the house there and also a big fuck you to all the people who made me feel like an idiot for knowing. Whatever man... I went to public school. 

Anyway, we drove our rental so high up the Mount Vesuvias that my ears started popping. Cars are only allowed up about 1000 m and then the rest of the trek - about 200 m - up to the crater has to be done on foot. We all agreed we would enjoy the mountain from where we were and skip the hike - ahhh gotta love those rare moments of consensus. 

Day 2

My mom really wanted to go to Tuscany but because we were so far south it would’ve taken us 3 hours to get there. We figured that we could get the “Tuscany” she was looking for a bit closer. Qa’id found a winery in a town called Frascati about 2 hours away so we headed there. 

When we arrived at Cantina de Sanctis, the owner Luigi gave us a tour of his spectacular family estate where he grows and makes mostly white wine, some red and pressed olive oil. 

After the tour, we tasted the current wines coupled with yummy snacks and bread, which I can’t show you because I’m always too excited about food to ever take photos... 

Day 3 

The next morning we headed to the Amalfi Coast. We (and by we I mean Qa’id) drove a harrowing 36 kilometers up and then down a mountain to get there... hairpin turns all along the way. The drive was absolutely stunning - that is what i could see of it when I wasn’t squeezing my eyes shut from fear. And when I wasn’t praying to God I was promising my future self I would come back in a convertible ferrari. 

Day 4

On our last day in Italy we drove through the mountainous Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park to visit the Grotte di Castelcivita. We did this instead of heading to the more touristic Capri island. I’d never been in a cave before so thought it’d be an interesting adventure. The drive was amazing as per usual in Italy and when we got there we sat at the shaded restaurant and enjoyed aperol spritzers as we waited for the tour to begin. 

I was too preoccupied with the headset we were given for the audio tour to take any photos so here’s one I swiped from the internet. 

I found Farmhouse Terra Nostra on Google Maps and it had great reviews and looked beautiful so we headed there for a meal. When we got there we ended up having one of the strangest experiences of the whole trip. You know that sound when a DJ is spinning and then suddenly stops the record? Ya that’s what it felt like when we walked into the place. Clearly a local favorite, the restaurant was packed with long tables bustling with large multi-generational families.... all of whom stopped what they were doing and starred intensely as we made our way to a table. 

Whatever... we enjoyed our meal, endured the furtive glances and got out of there. 

The next day we were on a flight back to ‘dam. 

Here’s what this trip taught me 

1. This was the first time we went on a trip like this with my mom and her husband and it really made me realize that in the future this kind of trip requires special consideration and planning the same way learning to travel with Sekani did. 

2. I’M FUCKING OVER BEING OTHERED IN EUROPE! I get it, you’ve never been so close to a Black person before. You’re amazed and confused... wait... they go on vacation?! They have FAMILIES?!!? *insert scream emoji* I get it but I don’t give a fuck. I ain’t a damn zoo exhibit. 

3. Pizza in Naples is GOAT.

[shorthairdontcair]

Some cute pictures of me taking my cousin round London, and me in Zambia from a couple of years ago. Get into how adorable teen me was ♥♥♥♥

[janieshutup]

#blackineurope from France 🇫🇷

[toandfrolife]

G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S! @portiao | #London #ToAndFROlife #blackineurope

[naomao]

feelin body posi 🌸

[blkinzurich]

Week Three Update: New Adventures in Zürich

Hello reader!

As we cross the three-week mark in Zürich, our family is starting to fall establish new routines and the kids are starting to form friendships. M and I have hit it off with the kids upstairs, and their afternoons are now a delightful cacophony of languages and laughter in our shared garden.

School and work continue to be enriching for all of us. J is enjoying his lakeside office lunches, while I relish the historic charm of Old Town during my remote work breaks. Our culinary explorations persist, with a Vietnamese restaurant in Wiedikon becoming an immediate family favorite. We are still in the middle of setting up our apartment (flat) so we haven't explored as much as we'd like during the weekend (hopefully, next week ?)

Until then, Tschüss

N and family

[shorthairdontcair]

These are from yeaaaaars ago when I was an embryo