If I Ran the Zoo: Protecting the Rights of Black African Minorities

Abstract

Abstract If I Ran a Zoo is a metaphoric trope for the normalisation of racism in European society for decades at a time when the contradiction of aspiring to the civilised world where human dignity, regardless of any distinctive status, would be respected. This article resolved the research question on how the rights of black African minorities can be protected while creating a safe space for the black people in Europe. Through content analysis, the article demonstrated the nature and origin of racism. It argued that racism and racial discrimination as it is rife against black African people, is a serious challenge for the realisation of human rights in Europe. It further considered the rights of black African minorities in the context of an Afrophobic Europe, and why international human rights law has failed to protect black African people. While it examined the risk posed to the lives of black minorities, it concluded that the elimination of racism and racial discrimination is within the capacity of European states, and consists in their showing greater responsibility towards their obligations in the European Convention on Human Rights.