You read right. Yes, Tyrone and Imani, there are black folks in Iran. You may be thinking, "Well, Shay, why haven't I seen them on my TV, given all these Iranian protests?". They don't live in the capital city of Tehran. This small population is overwhelmingly concentrated in southern coastal provinces far from Tehran, particularly in the cities of Bandar Abbas and Abadan. Many Afro-Iranians are descendants of the Portuguese/Arab/Middle Eastern slave trade along eastern Africa. Others descend from ancient east African traders who interacted with Persia (now Iran). In 2007, a documentary was done about Afro-Iranians. Other stuff:
The Diss Video, Afro-Iranian Style
An Afro-Iranian guy from Bandar Abbas makes fun of light-skinned people from Tehran (which is in north-central Iran), who haven't seen blacks before. He is describing their reaction and comments asking him why he is black....while comically dissing their ignorance and assumption that everyone is from Tehran or perhaps Shiraz and looks like them:
Photos Of Black Iranians
Street scene in Bandar Abbas. Note that the women aren't dressed in blah black outfits, like non-black Iranian women tend to wear, but in rich colors and prints.
A street scene in Bandar Abbas. Note the East African features. Bandari, a popular form of Iranian music, comes from black Iranians.
Dude would fit in anywhere in Black America LOL. Even has the swagga pose down pat. Most black Iranians have visible non-black admixture, but there are some like him.
Soccer team from Abadan, Iran, 1936
Teachable Moment: Blacks In Iran
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19 comments:
Thanks for posting this.
No matter how fast I try to keep up, my ignorance keeps growing.
I got here following a link from BLACKFIVE.
Ditto what Mad Fiddler said. Thanks again.
Thanks this was helpful. I'm actually Iranian trying to find out more about this stuff. Are there any other resources that you recommend?
Actually most Iranian woman from rural areas OF ALL SKIN TONES wear colorful clothing. These woman can be found in areas such as Tabriz, Mazandaran, Province of Farz,Abyaneh, and most Kurdish and Turkaman woman wear colorful attire as well. The Blacks in Iran are descendents of the first Iranians. Iran's original name was Elam and these peoples were called the Elamites. Over time most of them mixed with Medes and Persians (which happen to be a yellow and white mixture). Most Iranian families have everything from light to dark members. Although I am a fair skinned Iranian, my brother is not. Iranians like all other people (including Africans and Black Americans) are color struck, but that does not mean we share the same history as the west or even our Arab neighbors. An example of this is that we have no derogatory term for black (or for that matter) any people within our Persian language. I'm all for the advancement of Black people, but you don't have to put brown people down in order to get there.
I knew that they were the original inhabitants, but I can't believe that you actually told the truth! You have a very good heart. Other Iranians are commenting on this video and similar ones posted on Youtube. The are extremely racist! Elamites - I will look that up.
To Anonymous (who posted November 11, 2009):
<span>Actually most Iranian woman from rural areas OF ALL SKIN TONES wear colorful clothing. These woman can be found in areas such as Tabriz, Mazandaran, Province of Farz,Abyaneh, and most Kurdish and Turkaman woman wear colorful attire as well.</span>
Very true! Colorful clothing can be found throughout all regions and ethnic groups in Iran.
<span>The Blacks in Iran are descendents of the first Iranians.</span>
Unfortunately this is not true. There is a sadly long history of African slavery in what is now Iran, and the African-descended communities in Iran (as well as Pakistan, read up about the Makrani people, and in Iraq too, see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8-JiZlfTyA) mostly originated in East Africa, particularly Zanzibar. They were taken as slaves and brought to the region, where (though slavery has long since been abolished) they still face some discrimination.
<span>An example of this is that we have no derogatory term for black (or for that matter) any people within our Persian language.</span>
Again, sadly this is untrue; there are derogatory terms for black people in Persian, such as zangi, habashi, kaka/kaka-siah... And I'm astounded that you claim there are no derogatory terms for other people in Persian! Do you even speak Persian? There are so many, especially against Turks/Azeris (surely you've heard some of the many 'Turk jokes'), Arabs ("susmar-khor"), Jews ("johud"), and others. It is certainly not something to be proud of, but we have to acknowledge that it exists and not try to cover it up. Repeating silly fairy tales made up by the Pahlavis about Elamites and Medians does not help anyone. No one is putting Persians or other Iranians down by discussing the racism that does exist in Iranian society (and for the record, I am Persian myself).
Eskander, he is not Persian. He is black American. they like to claim other people's cultures because they do not have an authentic culture of their own besides basketball and hip-hop. They make up stories because they are ashamed of their history as slaves. The blacks in the middle east are there because of slavery.
The originals were from what we now know as Southern Russia. They migrated to the land of Persia over 15,000 years ago.
That is racist, man.
Reza,
Considering that black Americans are more prosperous than are Persians (as are Barbadians, Bahamians, and some other black populations), how is that Persian culture working for you? LMAO :-D Black Americans don't need to claim anyone else's culture, because we have a rich one of our own (which, despite your rank ignorance, extends far beyond "basketball and hip hop").
I know it's hard for you to wrap around your head that black Iranians come with different looks, but everyone above is indeed Iranian. And no, not every black Iranian is there due to slavery either. Um, there were black traders in the Middle East as well.
Nevertheless, how does it feel that even the descendants of slaves over here in the Americas are doing better than the Iranians....and created the conditions that made it possible for Iranians to even emigrate to America? LOL
actually no the elamites were dravidians not the blacks u see in pics the dravidians are hamitic in type but with straight hair and up to now they are mixing with the farsi people they are called brahui people who are branch of the dravidian race also the elamites were from shems son elam so no the blacks you see are not from elamites they stll look very negroid !it is the brahui and tamil people in tamil elam means homeland you are a little confused
http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.imagesofasia.com/html/pakistan/images/large/brahui-chief.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www
these are the descendants of the elamites hamitic in typenegroid but also from shem
unfortunately i could not get the link sorry so pic
it is not true the dravidians of india are from elamites not these people you see in pics
google image brahui people you will see pics the man with the sword and rifle with white turban is brahui dravidian
these are descendants of the the dark elamites!and up to now these people have friendly relations with the farsi people and were never enslaved they are brahui dravidians not bandari africans
http://www.imagesofasia.com/html/pakistan/brahui-chief.html
You know ... there are some very arrogant people on this board. I am SO damned tired of people thinking that Blacks were so stupid that they couldn't even build ships to cross the water like everyone else. I'm tired of people assuming that Blacks were so dumb that they couldn't migrate past the Sahara. Personally, I've seen enough evidence to fully convince me that Africans were the original inhabitants of the Southeast Asia, India, the Grecian Islands, AND the so-called "Middle East". In fact, Blacks were EVERYWHERE! And they didn't just arrive on slave ships. They came as merchants, traders, and scholars. And they left Africa at different times. They were thinking, rational human beings with a clear purpose in life. So why don’t YOU change YOUR way of thinking?
<span>"they like to claim other people's cultures because they do not have an authentic culture of their own besides basketball and hip-hop. They make up stories because they are ashamed of their history as slaves. The blacks in the middle east are there because of slavery."</span>
Any time the Black man stands up and tries to defend his honor, his enemies all try to drag him back down with a bunch of LIES. They label him an "Afro-centric" whatever the hell that is. In fact, his foes have been lying about history for so long that they are now unable to discern fact from fiction. So stop trying to tell us who and what we are. We know that better than you!!! We have our own scholars and our own griots. And as for your smart ass slavery comment, I spent yesterday reading all about Dr. Eliza Ann Grier, a former slave here in America who was eventually emancipated but continued to pick cotton for assholes like you in order to put herself through medical school. Hey, sometimes you have to do what you have to do. BTW, I HATE sports and hip hop. Actually, I come from a long line of educators and professinally trained musicians. Grandma was a pianist who played everything from Beethoven <span></span>to the Beetles. And Daddy is an arranger!
well, the southern part of Iran is quite different from the northern part and Iran is extremely ethnically and culturally diverse. I can see though how a typical Tehrani for example would find an incounter with a southern Iranian that is of African background rather shocking. You just do NOT see them. I think the first time I really saw Iranians of African background was when we were in Shiraz over the summer...you do see a lot there as Shiraz is pretty close to the Bandar region.
Also the Bandar region is heavily influenced by Gulf Arab, African and SE Asian cultures...also those women above are wearing the traditional attire of the Bandar region. The whole somber black abaya thing is actually prety new, before the Revolution most persian women indeed wore chadors but they wore printed or colored ones generally with black reserved for funerals. The Bandari Iranians have their own traditional garments much like the other ethynic groups and many wear them when out and about too. There is no law forcing the manteau and black chador on them, they are free to wear their own ethnic dress too.
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