Afro-German Literature and Films |
Afro-German Literature and Films
Gerlind Institute for Cultural Studies, Oakland, California
4 two-hour classes
Marion Gerlind, Founder and Executive Director
This seminar will familiarize students with the history of a minority population in Germany who has gained significant visibility in German media since the 1980s. Having confronted racist stereotyping and media (mis)representations, Black Germans have formed empowering social and historical identities around the self-label “Afro-German.” Using the classic book Farbe bekennen (Showing Our Colors), autobiographical essays, excerpts from novels and films, including later work by May Ayim and Ika Hügel-Marshall, students will study pre-colonial representations of Africa in Germany, Afro-Germans in the Weimar Republic and under National Socialism, as well as after 1945 to the present.
This seminar will be conducted in German and/or English. Students are asked to read assigned texts prior to each session and be prepared to contribute to email discussions.
Tags: Afro-Germans, Gerlind Institute for Cultural Studies, Germany, Ika Hügel-Marshall, Marion Gerlind