A Slant Truth and a post on BlackGermans recently reported on two incarnations of blackface in pop culture – one in Kansas and another in Germany.  Spiegel Online recently ran an article about German Dollmaker, Marcel Offermann, and his newest creating – a blackface Barack Obama doll.  This stereotypical depiction yet again illustrates the way in which mainstream German society continues to marginalize and “Other” People of Color, both in Germany and abroad.  Check out the comments to the posting of this story on the Obenson Report.

In response to the criticism that the doll’s skin color is much darker then that of Obama’s, Offermann stated that the lighter skin color “didn’t look so good”.  He went on to say that although the doll looks almost nothing like Obama, “The doll works more on a symbolic level.”  The symbolism of what, is the million dollar question!

His ignorance and racial insensitivity speaks to how little Germany has advanced in transforming itself itno a more tolerant nation, sensitive to the cultural and ethnic diversity within its borders.

Growing up, I was constantly bombarded with images and attitudes that the presence of people like me was unwanted in Germany.  Living on or near US military bases for most of my childhood,  saved me from some of the harassment and prejudiced attitudes and behaviors others experienced.  Nevertheless, our presence  complicated the antiquated, racialized parameters of “Germanness”.  Further, we stood as a constant reminder of an era in German history that would rather have been forgotten.

Not much has changed in that regard.  The popularity of Offermann’s doll speaks to that reality.  What HAS changed is the increased visibility of the AfroGerman community.  The passion and committment of the Afro German community, as well as activists of other ethnic backgrounds in Germany, has begun to claim its space throughout Germany.  Such groups and individuals as ADEFRA e.V., ISD Online, BrothersKeepers, Noah Sow, Victoria E. Robinson @ BLACKprint, Der Braune Mob, Women of the African Diaspora, the Afro Euroepean Sister’s Network, Black Women in Europe, Ika Hügel-Marshall, and Phoeniz e.V., have been at the forefront of this movement. (see Community Links for an ever expanding list of community and social justice advocacy links).