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Here you will find blog posts written by us, other recommended reading and what the press writes about us.
Blog posts & news
On April 7, 1994, the world witnessed the onset of one of the fastest genocides in human history. Over the course of 100 days, an estimated 800,000 lives were lost, with 70% to 80% of Rwanda's Tutsi population tragically exterminated.
Africa Day, celebrated annually on May 25th, marks the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, now known as the African Union (AU). It serves as a reminder of Africa's journey towards unity, freedom, and self-determination.
Have you ever wondered how the borders of African nations were formed? Why do they have such sharp turns and irregular lines? These borders were not shaped by the African population themselves but were instead imposed by European colonialists during the era of colonization.
Juneteenth, celebrated in the United States, marks the abolition of slavery and the emancipation of enslaved Africans in America. This historic day commemorates the end of slavery, specifically in Texas, the last state to implement the emancipation ruling after the Confederate States of America deemed slavery illegal in 1863
Neocolonialism, Decolonialism, and Postcolonialism are all theoretical frameworks related to the history and legacy of colonialism. They all have different phenomena in regards to colonialism and all important aspects in understanding power structures.
In the GDR, homosexuality was decriminalized in 1968, earlier than in many of the Federal States of Germany. However, this legal change did not lead to widespread social acceptance. The socialist government promoted a conservative, heteronormative family model, and homosexuality remained a taboo subject.
Book recommendations in English
They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South
Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers
A groundbreaking book about the often overlooked role of white women in the American slave system. Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers shows how they actively participated in the slave market, profited economically and used brutal management strategies - a new look at power and responsibility in the history of slavery.
Afrotopia
Felwin Sarr
A powerful meditation and poetic call for an African utopia of self-reinvention in the 21st century. After colonialism, civil wars and the AIDS crisis, a new day seems to be dawning for the African continent.
The Wretched of the Earth
Frantz Fanon
A classic about the psychological and social consequences of colonialism
How Europe Underdeveloped Africa
Walter Rodney
A critical analysis of the economic exploitation of Africa through colonialism
Collective Amnesia
Koleka Putuma
A collection of political poems about decolonization and identity
The Kaiser's Holocaust:
Prof. David Olusoga
On 12 May 1883, the German flag was raised on the coast of South-West Africa, modern Namibia - the beginnings of Germany's African Empire.
Book recommendations in German
Gap and love
Josephine Apraku
A clever book about the invisibility of social inequality in romantic relationships. Josephine Apraku shows how discrimination also shapes intimate relationships - and how we can love more consciously.
Amon. My grandfather would have shot me.
Jennifer Teege
An impressive memoir about cultural trauma and personal identity. At the age of 38, Jennifer Teege discovers by chance that her grandfather was the notorious Nazi criminal Amon Göth - a realization that shatters her life and confronts her with profound questions about origin, guilt and identity.
Black studies
Ina Wudtke
The book is a multidirectional reminder of past and present anti-racist struggles in Germany. It documents Wudtke's audio installation Black Lives Audio Triptych and brings to life archive material - especially photos, songs and texts - about Fasia Jansen and Hilarius Gilges.
Being German and Black at the same time: Memoirs of an Afro-German
Theodor Michael
This book shows the often forgotten history of colonial migrants in Germany and their discrimination over the course of time - from initial acceptance to systematic exclusion. An important read to better understand the effects of colonialism and racism in Germany.
Black feminism
Natasha A. Kelly
Translated texts by Angela Davis, Audre Lorde, Kimberlé Crenshaw and others that shed light on intersectional feminism
Your home is our nightmare
Fatma Aydemir and Hengameh Yaghoobifarah
Essays on racism and anti-Semitism in Germany
Recommended documentaries
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
Johan Grimonprez
A documentary that shows the struggles of the Congo, exposes the role of the USA and Belgium and at the same time shows the colonial structures that still exist today.
Colonial roots of the genocide in Rwanda
DW Documentary
In April 1994, the parents of two-year-old Samuel Ishimwe were murdered in Rwanda. Their fate was shared by up to a million people in the genocide against the country's Tutsi minority. Thirty years on, Samuel sets out to discover what set these terrible events in motion.
Harriet - The path to freedom
Kasi Lemmons
Based on the moving and inspiring life of one of America's greatest heroines, HARRIET tells the extraordinary story of Harriet Tubman, the famed freedom fighter who defied all odds to change the course of her life and the fate of the nation.
Stamped from the beginning
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
In his book, Dr. Ibrahim X. Kendi explains how "whiteness" was invented and why. This documentary visualizes his book and explains European history of the last 500 years.
The death and life of Marsha P. Johnson
David France
Pride Month and Christopher Street Day have become a global holiday. Find out how it all began with trans women of color, like Marsha P. Johnson.
African Queens: Njinga
Ethosheia Hylton, Adesuwa Oni
Find out more about the courageous and legendary female fighters against the European invasion of what is now Congo and Angola, such as Queen Nzinga.
Audio guide tours in Berlin
Coming soon...
deSta in the press
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THE GUARDIAN
'Hidden in plain sight': the European city tours of slavery and colonialism
Ashifa Kassam
B.Z.
Berlin native Justice Mvemba wants to raise awareness as Miss Germany
Sabine Klier