The origins of the Afro-Polish community are rooted in educational immigration to the Polish People's Republic.

The Communist government strongly supported anti-colonial movements in Africa as part of broader Soviet policy.

The contemporary Afro-Polish community includes many of these Africans and their descendants.

The Communist leadership of Poland wished to express solidarity and promote socialism to Africans from colonized nations.

The Polish Press Agency was given the task of documenting the African visitors, which began an ongoing series of Polish press photography depicting African visitors and residents of Poland.