CCE, Antifascists of Cetinje and UL Info demand that a street in Ulcinj be named after Riza Šurla

The non-governmental organizations Center for Civic Education (CCE), Antifascists of Cetinje and UL Info submitted an initiative to the Municipality of Ulcinj, the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly and the Council for Proposing Names of Settlements, Streets, Squares and Institutions to name a street in Ulcinj after Riza Šurla, an Ulcinj photographer, participant in the National Liberation War (NOB), actor and the most famous member of the Afro-Ulcinj community.

This was announced today by CCE.

"Rizo Šurla (also known as Rizo Harapi) was born in 1922 in Ulcinj, to an Afro-Albanian family. His father Saidi was a direct descendant of the first Africans to live in Ulcinj. In his youth, Šurla was involved in boxing and worked in catering in Dubrovnik, while he learned the photography trade in Belgrade. During World War II, he joined the partisan movement and enlisted for the Srem Front. He was wounded in the NOB. After the war, he returned to Ulcinj, where he opened the first photography shop "Pinješ" in 1952 and was the only photographer in the city for a long time. He is also remembered for his role in the TV drama "Jagoš and Uglješa" from 1976. He was one of the symbols of Pristan and Bojana - a fisherman, a football lover and a bohemian. He died in Ulcinj in 2003. He was one of the last members of families of African origin in this city. There is a well-known anecdote from World War II about officer Mitar Bakić, who, with a group of officers of the People's Liberation Army, led by General Peko Dapčević, visited units on the Srem Front, including the Montenegrin brigades. When he noticed a black man in a partisan uniform among the fighters, he asked him who he was, and he replied that he was from Ulcinj," the statement said.

The CCE added that the Afro-Ulcinj community had existed since the 16th century, since Ulcinj was a naval and pirate port, and that slaves were sold at the then Slave Square.

"In the 19th century, members of this community gained freedom and began the process of integration into the local environment, making Ulcinj a unique example of an intercultural city on the Adriatic. When Montenegro was recognized by the Berlin Congress in 1878, around a hundred people of African descent lived in Ulcinj. The image of Riz Šurla was painted in 2021 on the staircase leading to the former 'Galeb' hotel in Ulcinj, along with other prominent figures from the history of Ulcinj, with which his city has already, in a way, paid tribute to him," the statement reads.

CCE said that the Municipality of Ulcinj is the first municipality in Montenegro to adopt the Charter on Social Cohesion, which, as it was announced at the time, "demonstrates commitment to building a more open and connected society, based on equality and respect."

"We appreciate that naming a street after the most prominent Ulcinj resident of African descent, whose community has been a special feature of this city for centuries and contributed to its development, would represent a strong symbolic act of recognition, especially since there are no streets named after them in Ulcinj, although there are a number of localities whose names refer to this community," said the CCE.

The NGO said that they, Antifascists of Cetinje and UL Info believe that Rizo Šurla, in accordance with the Law on Memorials, meets the criteria for a prominent figure, considering his contribution to the community, culture and the fight against fascism.

"Interculturalism and nurturing diversity are some of the fundamental values ​​of Montenegro that we should be proud of. Naming a street after Riz Šurla would ensure the institutional preservation of the memory of his life and work, as well as the contribution of the Afro-Ulcinj community, so that new generations will have the opportunity to learn about them," said the CCE.