I recently had the opportunity to spend a week in Germany as part of a small delegation of U.S. journalists. Among other things, we were tasked with studying media trends, labor unions and working to establish solid relationships with our German counterparts.
While this was not my first trip to Germany, this time I left more enlightened than my previous visit to the country.
While I won’t bore you with a recitation of all the findings of our journey, I will share a bit of information about German media in general and the nation’s current racial climate.
Let’s begin with the good news. Germans revere their newspapers—they respect the vast diversity of perspectives the nearly 300 newspapers provide and they still support them financially.
Germany’s newspaper market is the fifth largest in the world, a fact that is evident nearly everywhere you go. While in coffee shops or passing through someone’s workspace, the majority of Germans had copies of newspapers nearby. For this journalist, it was refreshing to see German readers entranced in their print newspapers rather than fixated on the latest smart phone or tablet. While the country has indeed seen an overall decline in circulation over the years, most residents continue to support newspapers; especially publications similar to the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper that are independent and not controlled by a media conglomerate, thus offering a more balanced approach to news.
One person I shared a brief conversation with in a German bakery said they turn to local newspapers to stay abreast of what’s going on in their specific communities. She said, “we don’t go to China or even another Germany state to learn what’s going on. We educate ourselves through the newspapers offered in the communities we live and work.”
Americans can learn a lot from Germans’ support of their community newspapers.
I found the German perspective of African-Americans interesting, to say the least. The bulk of what they knew of Black people in America are the negative portrayals most majority newspapers in the U.S. disseminate: an image of African-Americans as lazy, uneducated and disruptive.
This unfortunate and unfair depiction of African-Americans in general was another reason for my trip as part of a delegation of Black journalists.
I’m a board member of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, an organization of over 200 Black newspapers in America. We sought to develop a platform to work directly with German media to tell the full, more accurate stories of African- Americans.
The individuals we encountered were fairly receptive and appreciated the idea of gaining news about Blacks from Blacks. They agreed with us that this was the most authentic way to educate their communities about African- Americans and other people of color.
Speaking of people of color, we also met with a group of minorities in Germany who represented diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds.
Some were Eritreans, Arabic, Indian, Somalian, Black and even gypsies. They often referred to themselves as POCs or people of color. My delegation’s discussion with them was enlightening to say the least.
While many of the business leaders and even newspaper representatives who were white asserted that racism doesn’t exist in Germany and that there, people see no color, we got an entirely different story from these minority individuals.
One older man of Indian decent spoke of how he was belittled by a police officer who demanded to see his citizenship paperwork and identification for no reason at all.
The officer just walked up and started questioning him. Not that it should matter, but when telling his story to us this older man mentioned the multiple degrees he had, how he lives in a well-to-do neighborhood, has a good job and wears suits everyday—even recreationally. Nonetheless, the officer continued to degrade the gentleman who was with his adult daughter. The older man spoke about how embarrassed and defeated he felt in front of his daughter. He explained how the girl who has looked up to her father her entire life had to see him subjected to disrespectful and unfair treatment. The man eventually filed a complaint and went before a judge. The judge said, yes, the officer’s behavior was wrong, but the instance “was not a major issue.” In other words, “get over this humiliating and unfair treatment.”
Another individual in the group commented, “When something happens in the U.S., Germans call it racism; but when the same thing happens in Germany, it is not racism.”
Germans seem to ignore race—so much so, there is no category for it—either you are German or not German. This is troubling for many reasons. To give just one example, classifications impact how resources are distributed. If there is no category, there are no provisions given.
The group of POCs we met with are adamant about the unjust manner they are treated and they are working to form stronger coalitions and do more for minorities in the country. They are even seeking support for a Black History Month.
Of course, I already knew about global racism prior to going on this trip, but it was further proved that people of color everywhere are generally treated unfairly, simply because of the color of their skin.
The amount of hatred, superiority and disregard for the lives of others is evident around the world. It saddens me considerably.
The thing I most appreciate about the POCs in Germany is their willingness to unite. This group and others who represent diverse backgrounds join forces to fight racial injustice in Germany. They understand there is strength in numbers. They also understand that at the end of the day, they are all categorized, or miscategorized in the same unfair and bias manner. The good thing is, they are working productively to eliminate such disparities.
