Tracing the Beginning of the Roma Emancipation Movement in Communist Romania

My paper analyzes the beginning of the Roma emancipation movement in communist Romania by focusing on the activity of the Roma sociologist and activist, Nicolae Gheorghe. It is divided in three parts. The first part describes the situation of the Roma people during the communist period, and how the communist regime used their social marginality to exclude them from the ranks of the officially recognized national minorities. The second part offers a short biography of Nicolae Gheorghe identifying those elements that prompted his involvement in supporting the Roma people’s quest for civic emancipation. Lastly, the paper focused on Gheorghe’s actions meant to build a case for the recognition of Roma as a national minority.