The European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) is releasing the masterclass Antigypsyism in Sweden and Romani Interventions, with Samanta Selimovic, based on a research paper authored by Samanta Selimovic and Jan Selling, produced in the framework of the project Reclaiming Our Past, Rebuilding Our Future: New Approaches to Fighting Antigypsyism (JEKHIPE).
This masterclass, led by Samanta Selimovic, provides a critical examination of the five-century history of the Roma in Sweden, moving from the violent 1637 expulsion decrees to the 2013 illegal police registration. By blending academic research with lived experience as a Roma and Muslim woman, Selimovic exposes “antigypsyism” not merely as a prejudice, but as a systemic structure embedded within the Swedish welfare state. The session highlights how historical “humanitarian” policies often masked forced sterilization and cultural erasure, ultimately arguing that genuine inclusion fails when it is designed for Roma rather than with them.
Shifting from systemic exclusion to “artivism,” the session explores how pioneers like the Taikon sisters and contemporary figures like Soraya Post and Lindy Larsson reclaim Roma identity through politics and performance. After noting the influence of the post-Yugoslavia diaspora and women’s leadership, the session concludes by analyzing the “state-dependency dilemma”: the tension between requiring public funding and maintaining activist independence against rising populism. Ultimately, the masterclass calls for structural reform and collective memory to ensure Sweden’s 2032 equality goals are met through active participation rather than passive assimilation.
About the authors
Samanta Selimovic is an activist, advisor and representative in Roma issues, active both nationally and internationally. She has been involved in several cultural and social projects, including ‘Roma cultural heritage in Västernorrland’, the identity project ‘Young Roma voices’ and initiatives that support Roma towards studies and work. Selimovic is also a driving force in a Roma cultural association in Sundsvall, with a special focus on women’s rights, the fight against antigypsyism, and the strengthening of Roma identity and culture. She has described her path to becoming a Roma activist in the essay “Existensen” [The Existence.] (2024, in: B., L. Lundqvist & J. Olsson (eds) Feminiqua. Historier om motstånd. [Feminiqua. Stories of Resistance], pp. 282–291.
Jan Selling is a professor of critical Roma studies at Södertörn University. Since 2010, he has researched and taught about Roma history, Roma liberation and antigypsyism. Main publications: Svensk antizigansim [Swedish Antigypsyism] (2013), Romani Liberation (2022; also in Swedish version as Frigörelsen, 2020), reports on Sweden for the projects CHACHIPEN (2022) and JEKHIPE (2025) and participation in RomArchive 2015-2019 and ERIAC’s project Re-Thinking Roma resistance (2020). At Södertörn University, he has been conducting an international online colloquium for doctoral students with a focus on antigypsyism and critical Roma studies since 2020.
Read the Research Paper “Antigypsyism in Sweden and Romani Interventions” Authored by Samanta Selimovic and Jan Selling
This masterclass is based on a research study produced by Samanta Selimovic and Jan Selling, and developed within the JEKHIPE project. Six research fellows from Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Czechia, and Sweden were selected to produce in-depth papers documenting historical and contemporary forms of antigypsyism, Roma civil rights movements, and cultural history in their national contexts.
These papers are designed to generate new historical evidence, enrich academic and policy debate, and inform public-facing outputs. Each study is published in both the national language and English to ensure accessibility at local and European levels. Together, they form the foundation for a series of masterclasses that translate the research into accessible audiovisual formats for wider audiences.
Read the Research Paper “Antigypsyism in Sweden and Romani Interventions” Authored by Samanta Selimovic and Jan Selling (available in English and Swedish)
Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them
