On Wednesday, 23 October 2024, at the headquarters of the Society for the Study of Modern Hellenism (EMNE) in Athens (11 Zosimou Street), a presentation was held on the topic of African American Philhellenism during the years of the Greek Revolution, given by Giorgos Giannikos, administrator of the “Philhellenes of History” page. The discussion panelists were Ms. Maria Damilakou, Assistant Professor of American History in the Department of History at the Ionian University, and Ms. Anna Karakatsouli, Professor of European History and Culture in the Department of Theater Studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
The presentation traced the journey and philhellenic activities of African-American philhellenes, such as the barber Robert Maines and the soldier James Williams, while various interesting aspects of African American philhellenism during the years of the Greek Revolution were highlighted. Of great interest is the philhellenic stance of the first African American newspaper, Freedom's Journal, as well as the views of the prominent African American activist David Walker regarding American slavery and the Greek Struggle.
African American philhellenes came from various social and professional backgrounds and expressed strong philhellenic views and engaged in related activities toward the end of the 1820s. African American intellectuals and journalists identified similarities between Ottoman and American slavery and compared their own situation to that of the enslaved Greeks. In fact, some did not hesitate to criticize and denounce certain white American philhellenes for their hypocritical stance toward American slavery.
In the discussion that followed the presentation, several issues were highlighted, including the international character of the Greek Revolution and the Philhellenic movement, the social and cultural networks in which African American philhellenes participated, as well as how African American philhellenism fits into the broader American and, more generally, “Western” philhellenism of the era.
Warm congratulations are due for the impeccable organization of the presentation at the EMNE, which since 1971 has contributed to the scholarly examination and study of Greek history. It is worth noting that the Society has been publishing the historical journal “MNIMON” for over half a century.
