We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe Screening and Discussion

We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe Screening and Discussion

We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe: Film screening and conversation with director Fred Kudjo Kuwornu

“We Were Here” unveils the untold history of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe through iconic artworks. This multilingual film, shot across Europe, challenges the notion that all Blacks were slaves or servants. It reveals a diverse presence, including princes, ambassadors, merchants, and religious figures. Narrated from an Afro-European perspective, it explores stories absent from traditional history books.

This event is co-sponsored by the Black Baroque Project, Arts + Public Life, the Departments of Art History and of Romance Languages and Literature at the University of Chicago, and the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago.