How the Lab came to be

After years in the international development sector, our founders recognized a systemic failure to address how racial domination shapes global inequalities. 

The international development sector has rarely considered the need to address the consequences of colonialism and the current manifestations of a global system of racial domination. Social, economic, political, and environmental inequalities between Africa and Europe have always been considered as the result of unequal development or because of dysfunctional State institutions.  This lack of interest in racial issues has allowed Eurocentric policies inherited from colonial policies to persist with little interest in the rights and interests of African populations and to maintain the domination of former colonial powers’ interests in Africa.

African Futures Lab was born to address this failure to address how racial and colonial domination shapes global inequalities. We raise awareness of racial injustices across Africa and Europe and empower civil society actors, as well as public and private entities, to demand justice and achieve reform. 

With offices in Nairobi and Brussels, and a network of fellows across Africa and Europe, we combine rigorous research with bold advocacy to demand truth, accountability, and reparative justice for Africans and Afro-descendent communities.

African Futures Lab aims to build a future where the dignity and rights of Africans and People of African descent are protected and respected. We envision a future where our contributions and sacrifices in shaping humanity are recognized and valued. We aspire to a future where our cultures and values are represented within the social, political and economic institutions that govern us; a future where we receive dedicated human and political care from the global community. 

• Publishing evidence-based research reports and policy papers that expose how historical and contemporary racial injustices manifest across Africa and Europe.
• Launching campaigns (podcasts, videos, social media, etc.) to raise awareness about racial injustice and analyze social and political responses. 
• Organizing and actively participating in conferences across Africa and Europe to shape public narratives and discourse around global racial injustices.
• Empowering emerging and established leaders through fellowship programs focused on conducting research and advocacy at the intersection of international development and racial justice.