Jump to content

Black Belgians

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Afro-Belgian)
Black Belgians
Afrobelgen
Afrobelges
Four Studies of the Head of a Moor by Rubens, c. 1615. The unidentified subject of the oil sketch was probably a resident of Antwerp.[1]
Regions with significant populations
Throughout Belgium
Languages
Dutch • French • Languages of Africa
Religion
Christianity • Islam • Traditional African religions • Non-adherence

Afro-Belgians (Dutch: Afrobelgen, French: Afrobelges) or Black Belgians, are defined as Belgians of Sub-Saharan African descent.

A total of 358,268 Sub-Saharan Africans lived in Belgium in 2023, comprising 3.06% of the population, according to Statistics Belgium. 95,282 (27% of the total Sub-Saharan African population) lived in Brussels.[2]

Most Sub-Saharan Africans in Belgium originate from Cameroon, Mali, Guinea, Senegal, Congo-Kinshasa, Congo-Brazaville, Rwanda, and Burundi. The Brussels neighborhoods of Ixelles and Matonge have large Black populations.[3][4][5]

A street scene in Matonge, one of Belgium's most diverse neighborhoods with a large African population (2009)
Two supporters of the Belgian national football team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Belgium national team

[edit]

In 2017, 19 out of 52 total players in the men's Belgium national football team were of African origin.[6]

Notable Afro-Belgians

[edit]

Football players

[edit]
Romelu Lukaku, a football player of Congolese descent
Stromae, a singer of Flemish and Rwandese descent
Nafissatou Thiam, an athlete of Belgian and Senegalese descent
Michy Batshuayi, a football player of Congolese descent
Marie-Pierra Kakoma, professionally known as Lous and the Yakuza, a singer rapper of Congolese and Rwandese descent
Élodie Ouédraogo, a retired sprinter of Burkinabé descent
Baloji, a rapper and singer of Congolese descent

Other sports

[edit]

Politicians

[edit]
  • Assita Kanko, politician, member of the European Parliament
  • Pierre Kompany, politician, the first black mayor in Belgium, father of football player Vincent Kompany
  • Wouter Van Bellingen, politician and the first black alderman in Belgium

Arts and music

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Sutton, Peter C.; Rubens, Peter Paul; Wieseman, Marjorie E.; Hout, Nico van (2004-01-01). Drawn by the Brush: Oil Sketches by Peter Paul Rubens. Yale University Press. p. 112. ISBN 978-0-300-10626-8.
  2. ↑ "Origin | Statbel". statbel.fgov.be. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  3. ↑ Spencer, Katrina (2023-03-28). "Exploring Black Brussels: A Trip to Matongé". Vinegar Hill Magazine. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  4. ↑ "Matonge, an African home in Brussels". Reuters. 2020-06-29. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  5. ↑ Beddington, Emma (2013-11-03). "Out of Africa: Brussels' vibrant Matonge quarter". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  6. ↑ "Belgium's African roots".
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black_Belgians&oldid=1368905295"