Raising awareness of racism

The Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellens and the "Project Learning and Resource Platform Africa" (PLURA) in cooperation with the Didactics of Geography at the University of Bayreuth had organised a screening of the film "Becoming Black" at the Cineplex cinema in Kulmbach. The event with director Ines Johnson-Spain was also attended by 65 students of grade 11 of the MGF-Gymnasium in Kulmbach. They were very impressed by Johnson-Spain's film. The autobiographical documentary film deals in a very personal way with the upbringing of a black girl in a white family in the GDR. Belonging, social norms, family concepts and persistent racism are the themes of the film.

Ines Johnson-Spain presented her film for the first time to such a young audience and explained in the subsequent discussion with the students that racism is often very subtle and hides behind seemingly harmless phrases. The students of the MGF-Gymnasium were already sensitised to the topic, as they had already dealt with the subject of racism intensively in class for several days before the film event. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the students said they took a lot away from the event. "The event was a gift for me that makes you think and makes you want to be brave like Ines," said one young woman in the discussion group.

PLURA, in cooperation with the Didactics of Geography, organises events to introduce students and their teachers to Africa and Africa-related topics. In addition, PLURA is working to ensure that the topics are no longer treated in a stereotypical way in the classroom, but are included in everyday school life in an up-to-date way and without common clichés.