GERM 64.05 Black German Writing
This class provides an introduction to Black German literature—its history, its politics, and its aesthetics. While Black people have been part of Europe for centuries, Black German writing received only little attention so far. In this class, we will map Black German literature, from poems and rap songs to short stories and novels, between the 1980s to the present. What role does it play in society? What does it contribute to the German literary and linguistic landscape? To place these artifacts in context and to gain an understanding of the Black German community’s diversity, we will discuss Germany’s colonial legacy and the roots of the Black diaspora in Germany, the Black German political and cultural movement in the 1980s, the racist violence in the 1990s, and the concerted and vocal critique of racism in the 2000s. Taught in German.
Instructor
Oholi