Whilst some streets were named after colonized country’s in Africa others were named after gruesome people who committed genocide and other brutal acts towards people of color. We talked about how some of the names could be seen as very offensive and got to share our own opinions on why they should or shouldn’t be used for street names.
Desmond helped us see just how much European countries would convey themselves as heroes or a savior to Africa, though they actually took it apart and divided it amongst themselves in the scramble for Africa. The tour really assisted us in not only putting Germany’s role into perspective, but also our own, as a course filled with white students. We realized that whilst we can reflect on our own whiteness we can also spread the message, get other people aware of their privileges and help others use their voice, all to spread the important message of colonialism’s brutal history.
Those are a few of the reasons we see colonialism in the school curriculum as a must and why we think such tours are so helpful for students and other’s to learn.
We gained knowledge on so much more than what was just put together in this text, which is why we are very thankful for our guide, Desmond. Additionally we would like to thank Justice, the founder of the organization planning these tours and our teacher, Miss Wappke, who took us on this tour and keeps showing us how important these topics and our classes are.
Tagua Yarina Clausen
Treffpunkt Kulturinsel