… but you are not German.” – Afro‐German culture and literature in the German language classroom

Abstract

Units and classes dedicated to multiculturalism in Germany have predominantly focused on Turkish‐German literature and culture. Afro‐Germans have been a minority whose culture and literature have only marginally been included in German classes, even though Afro‐Germans have been a part of Germany for centuries and have undergone efforts at establishing themselves as an organized cultural group. This article argues for a stronger focus on Afro‐German culture in German classes by providing a brief overview of Afro‐German history, outlining a sample class unit on Afro‐German poetry, and introducing an extensive list of Afro‐German texts and texts about Afro‐Germans in Germany that can be used at different levels of German. The article offers relevant background information for instructors interested in including units on the Afro‐German experience in their classes and suggests texts in a variety of genres for all language levels.

The presence and absence of race in world language education literature

“…Cobb traced the impact of different “Afro” connections to the Spanish‐speaking world. Similar efforts followed for multiple languages: French (e.g., Gross, 2007; Murphy, 2015); German (e.g., Chen, 2022; Divers, 1995; Nenno, 2019; Putnam, 2008; Schenker & Munro, 2016; Uca et al, 2022; Willeke, 2001); Latin (e.g., Kennedy, 2022; Masciantonio, 1977); and Spanish (e.g., Granda, 2021; Rogers, 2006; Watson, 2013). These articles presented lessons that engaged students with race as a theme in authentic texts such as film (e.g., Libbon, 2008; Ruggiero, 2015), classical and contemporary music (e.g., Howards, 2014; Sosulski, 2013), and canonical literature (e.g., Frackman, 2011; Hopkins, 1992).…”

Coloniality in the German Higher Education System: Implications for Policy and Institutional Practice

“…Further, the incorporation of Afro-German literature into German Studies curricula has been identified as slow and insufficient (Johnson, 2001). Calls to include works by Afro-German authors are largely ignored and most HEI curricula lack a systematic incorporation of texts by Afro-Germans (Schenker & Munro, 2013). In addition, a search for "mobilität" (mobility) resulted in 143 program matches, though the vast majority were engineering and technology-related.…”