Precolonial Multiculturalism

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Here is a history article for a change.  Was early modern Europe more multi-racial and multi-cultural than people imagine or admit?  Does this apply to only Western Europe or could it apply to places further east as well (see Pushkin's great-grandfather for example)?  Does European history as taught in school take this presence into account or even mention it? If it is true, as is often claimed, that racism became official or crystallised as a justification for colonialism and the slave trade, is the author correct in advocating more awareness of an African presence in early modern Europe to help combat racism and the idea of a purely white Europe? This article is mainly based on the travels of Zaga Christ, but to get a sense of the evidence for the larger argument being made here, I would recommend that you click on some of the hyperlinks (which you can also refer to in your comment).