A conversation with Chantal Bamgbala shows how deeply racism is anchored in society and structure. She was the first woman of color to receive the Carinthian Human Rights Prize 2023 for her commitment to a more open society throughout Austria.
Born in Wolfsberg, raised in St. Andrä, Ehrental technical school, high school diploma at HTL Ferlach, studied applied cultural studies at the Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt and spent a year in Vienna studying international development – actually a completely normal CV .
If it wasn’t, yes, if it wasn’t about the skin color, which still causes some people in Carinthia to make racist comments or even spit on it over and over again: However, Chantal Bamgbala refused to accept this and went to the right. A man had regularly harassed her with statements such as ‘go pick cocoa beans’ and other annoying things.
The reason for their anti-racism workshops
However, the 2020 trial left the bitter realization that racism runs deeper because no law could be found banning discrimination on the streets. “This was also the decisive factor for me to do anti-racism workshops,” says the courageous student in an interview with the “Krone”.
The way the media covered the issue angered the 25-year-old: “It gave the impression that it only affected this one man and me – but it’s nothing unusual, as a person of color you live with it all the time.” the media and their responsibility Bamgbala addresses the issue because they are “guilty if, for example, images with incorrect names are memorized.” When it comes to political correctness, she has discovered that “adults in particular are afraid of saying the wrong thing. In short, ‘openness is necessary’, in which Carinthia still lags behind.
The Lavanttal resident travels throughout Austria to train people with workshops and has reached around 2,000 students so far. In Salzburg she organized a multi-day training on anti-racism skills, and her project ‘Black Voices’ aims to develop a national action plan against racism in Austria.
Festival for diversity
The sympathetic young woman has been organizing the ‘African Diaspora Festival’ on Kardinalplatz in Klagenfurt since 2020 to experience Austria’s diversity with music, street food and dance in an open atmosphere. Last July, more than 1,000 people of all ages celebrated the festival continuously, but the financing conditions make it impossible to continue: “I would have to advance thousands of euros, and the city of Klagenfurt does not support that at all.”
Chantal Bamgbala’s dedicated activities did not go unnoticed: she was nominated for the Carinthian Human Rights Prize 2023 and received it from Governor Peter Kaiser on December 9, together with Radio Agora. Proud of the prize, she will use half of the 10,000 euros awarded for her own training in order to continue working on ‘living well together’.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
