Black History Weeks 2024

People of African descent have been part of Germany for centuries. Nevertheless, they are subject to numerous forms of discrimination. Their history and their perspectives on Germany still all too often play no role. With the Black History Weeks, Erlangen is therefore working for the tenth time to highlight the history and current significance of the African diaspora in Germany.

This year's Black History Weeks events will once again link past and present. The event will kick off with a colorful evening featuring Black artists from the region. The fact that this event can take place in Nuremberg stands for the networking of our region and underlines the series' claim to radiate beyond Erlangen. It is certainly also worth listening to a discussion with Afro-German politicians from the state parliaments and the Bundestag. The discussion will focus on their perspectives on Germany, Europe and the recent US presidential elections.

A special highlight will be a reading with music in the Erlangen City Library, at which, among others, the Congolese-Austrian author
Austrian writer Fiston Mwanza Mujila will perform. The recently completed documentary film "Sankofa" will then take us back to the beginnings of the Black History Weeks. It ties in with the opening event of the Black History Weeks 2015. At that time, three Afro-German contemporary witnesses and survivors of the Nazi era - Gert Schramm, Theodor Michael and Marie Nejar - gave moving accounts of their fates. In the film, Black German activists of today comment on the survivors' statements and reflect on current political references since 2015.

I look forward to a lively interest and wish us all inspiring events.

Yours
Dr. Florian Janik
Lord Mayor of the City of Erlangen

Dr. Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, former city councillor in Erlangen, initiated the "Black History Weeks", which have been organized by the city of Erlangen since 2015. She is the first African woman to be elected to a city council and the EU Parliament in Germany. Among other things, she is the patron of the German network "Integra" for overcoming female genital mutilation and a
She is a founding member of FORWARD-Germany, now "FORWARD for Women" e.V. She is committed to the empowerment of women, especially migrant women, as well as to combating violence against women and anti-racism. In 2003, she received the "Grand Prize of the President of Senegal for Research and Science" in Dakar.

In 2009, she was awarded the "Helene Weber Prize" by the current President of the EU Commission, Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, for her outstanding commitment as a local politician.

In 2023, she received the "Peace, Inclusion and Diversity Award" from Howard University Washington D.C. for her exhibition "Black People during the Nazi Era 1933-1945" In May 2019-2024, she was elected as a Member of the European Parliament and was, among other things, First Vice-Chair of the Development Committee and Co-President of the European Parliaments "Anti Racism and Diversity Integroup (ARDI)".

She was twice nominated for the "Parliament MEP Award" (MEP=Member of the European Parliament). Dr. Herzberger-Fofana was MEP from May 2019 to July 16, 2024.