In Europe, I Sometimes Search for Other People of Color

It’s weird when I am in Portugal to see other black people. I sometimes feel overwhelmed in places that are almost homogeneously white. I am stared at as I walk through the small towns and villages, and it makes me want to proclaim that we are all the same species, created in God’s image. My husband is white, so I understand that it is a rarity to see an interracial couple. But in my understanding, I still feel sad that my humanity is often overlooked, and people openly stare as though I am some kind of oddity when I go out to eat with my family, as I am the only person of color at the table.

So, when I see another person of color, I rejoice. Last year, while visiting family in Porto, I attended an art show for teenagers that our talented and creative granddaughter participated in, and I saw only one other black family. Indeed, their young daughter won a first-place ribbon for a great painting. I went over to congratulate her, and she thanked me in English. Her family had moved to Portugal. We were the only blacks in the room. I was so proud of her, but I was also proud of my granddaughter, who had a great project as well.

We are all human beings, members of one race, but we can’t pretend that race doesn’t matter. I think that the people in Portugal are wonderful, and I look forward to living among them if we move to Portugal to live and explore more of Europe. It is just that around the world, immigrants of color are vilified by politicians attempting to divide humanity into “them and us.” In Porto and the Algarve, I watch how Africans are treated while trying to sell products as they seek to provide for their families in Europe, and it disturbs me. But I also know that people are afraid of others who don’t look like them, worship differently, love differently, and in other ways we perceive people differently.

Yet, I smile at the people who stare at me, which makes them uncomfortable, although that is not my intention. My aim is to show that I am harmless and friendly. I want to project goodness and the love of God. I am overjoyed when someone smiles back at me, for it means they see me as someone like themselves, someone who wants and needs human connections with others, regardless of the categories we create. I visit Europe every year to see my grandchildren, and we travel to other European countries, seeking to see as much of the world as possible. I marvel at our similarities in how family is important to us, and I love seeing three or four generations of a family walking or dining together in Europe.

Seeing the similarities lessens my feelings of being out of place. I see that we all struggle to live our best lives each day. Race doesn’t stop the need for work that pays a good wage, wonderful schools for our children, and love from family and friends. I remember that people are not used to seeing blacks, and that the media in the United States portrays us so negatively. It is no wonder we are not trusted in stores, and people are uncomfortable around us when we travel. But I ask that we always see each other’s humanity and that all people have value and worth, so that no one ever feels out of place.

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