Afro Germany - Being black and German | DW Documentary 

For the Spanish version of this documentary, visit our new RU-vid channel 'DW Documental': ru-vid.com/show-UCQ1GpKa15ulyoQuxz7H4rng

what kind of loser do you have to be to attack someone just because of their skin color, when the person has literally done nothing to you.

Never be afraid to defend yourself when someone attacks you.

I am not Black myself but I am a dark person growing in Mexico I got called all types of slurs for being dark I also remember myself wishing so bad to be white or fair skinned and never understood why people have an issue with people with darker skin complexion as I grew I learned the history behind racism and today I am more than proud of my indigenous roots and my dark skin 🖤

Her hair looks so much more beautiful natural❤️

Wow. The gentleman that lived as a Black man in Nazi Germany. Just, wow - his story is amazing.

This was so informative. Thanks for giving light to afro germans and their experiences. Much love from USA

I need to add that as great as this documentary is, this video is also heartbreakingly infuriating. And thank you to Ms. Pareigis for putting herself through this to bring more awareness to the experiences of our fellow travelers.

Such a great documentary, the story of the adopted women was really touching. Such beautiful stories shared. Well done

When she said people told her "she was too emotional, she's overreacting or the person did not mean it that way." It brought back so many memories of people saying the same to me in the past. We need to, as a society/race, stop discrediting others experiences.

It kills me anymore to see curly hair being straightened, especially if I know it's to fit in or make life easier. I used to straighten everyday and it's no longer as thick.

My sister-in-law was adopted from a Germany orphanage when she was about 3 years old. During their childhood, my husband taught her English and helped her adapt to her new family in America. My father-in-law father was in the US Army and during the 1960's many African American military families were encouraged to adopt mixed-race babies from Germany because there was so much racism they would be doomed to growing up in foster homes or in the orphanage. Thanks for sharing this important information.

Amazing documentary, well presented and filmed. Thank you Jana for documenting these awesome people and their stories, struggles and aspirations. Also, as a South African born, it was really great to see such a lively South African Artist living and practicing his craft in Germany 🇩🇪 Ausgezeichnet!!

I’m Asian and German and in Elementary School every one was like : You Chinese . But I am KOREAN.

i cried watching this. reminded of all the times i was called names and treated differently by teachers as a black child living in germany. i too got the question "if you are black, why is you dad white?" i was called poop up until 5th grade, because they said that my skin was the same color as poop. I eventually came to believe that i was poop. i straightened my hair and wore blue contacts, i begged my mom to let me dye my hair blonde, i would go online looking for ways to lighten my skin, i avoided the sun as if it would actually burn me. I hated school. I actually believed until i was like 9 years old or so, that i was the only black person in germany, besides my mom of course. It wasn't until long after we went back to brazil that i came to learn about black history and that i came to love my race and color.

Thank you so much to the English voice overs... I really appreciate it 🙏🏾

This is a very enlightening special I thoroughly appreciated the realities in life that you experienced in Germany and the fact that you were willing to share them. Thank you so much.

I lived in Berlin for four years of my life when I was a child and spoke fluent German. My experience as a black boy in Germany from 96' to 20' was free from racism. When I talk about Germany with people the first notion is that Germans are racist but that's not the case. There are Germans who really embrace foreigners. I lived in a Turkish neighbourhood and went to a European school where there were many nationalities. We all liked each other and actually admired our differences. Many of my friends wanted to be black like me and I wanted to be like them but as I got older, I came to love who God has created me to be. No matter the colour of our skin, we all bleed the same colour of blood. Horrible things were done in the past to black people but it's a choice to let what happened many years ago haunt you. We learn from the past and write our own future. I choose to write a future full of love to my neighbour irrespective of their skin colour.

Her hair is so much more beautiful curly.

Love this I’ve never met a black German and learned so much during this! Please keep telling these stories of the diaspora. Much love from Cleveland, Ohio!

This is a good educational video and should be shared all over the world, to let people understand what it’s really like to be a different colour.

I didn’t play that sh^t when I lived in Berlin. I won scholarship money to study abroad in Berlin for three months. A few Germans tried to test me, but I was so arrogant and full of myself I stood my ground and they ended up looking stupid.

They call mixed race black.....glad this lady embraces her heratidge and roots..

I'm glad they did a voice over and not just subtitles so I can listen while I'm busy around the house lol

Jana is beautiful, well spoken and her story is very interesting! ( Growing up as a little girl with racist games in school must have been so hard) The musician's story blew me away! I'm glad he's using music to express himself.

It's an eye opening experience watching this documentary. It'll make me a stronger human being with a overwhelming capacity to understand and love everyone.

Wow! What a beautiful and super interesting documentary. I'm a 57 year old Afro American, and l still love learning about the African diaspora experience from the viewpoint of other people all over the world. This doc should be shown in Middle school through college all over the planet! Thanks so much for this extremely important doc!

Great documentary, congrats Jana and the DW team! Even though the history is a bit different, I can so easily relate with what I experienced as a mixed-race (half black, half white) growing in France. Same struggles, same every day fight...

Part 2: On top of that my Mothers heritage is from Cameroon and Mali. I’m now 66 yrs old. I lost the language over time but I can still understand it when it’s spoken. I grew up in Aschaffensburg, Nuremberg, and Stuttgart and oddly, always call Germany 🇩🇪 Home.😊 Thank you for this documentary. 🙏🏼♥️

"That's life's all about accepting yourself". I love it!

Was supposed to be studying my Mandarin, ended up watching this amazing documentary instead. I've definitely struggled with my own racial identity and my place in a white society as a person of color. Thank you for giving these black people a voice. Masterfully done.

Mr. Michael’s story is astonishing! I am amazed that he actually survived Nazi Germany and that he, even during that era, seems to have had an incredible life! Wow!

Her father is from Zimbabwe and that’s my home country as well… it’s a pity she had to go to foster homes but she said she is happy with how her childhood ended up and that’s the most important thing

The beautiful dark skin man should move to a place that loves him. It’s important to be celebrated instead of being tolerated.

Knowledge of Black History is Key to building Up your self confidence.

Danke an alle ! Theodor Wonja Michael...was für eine Haltung. Wünschte die Interviews wären länger.

Jana Pareigis, thank you for your documentary on Afro German. I will be sharing it on my site. Paullette Sims Wimberly Tampa, Florida USA

"We didn't need to wear a yellow star to be discriminated against."

Wow the old black guy looks amazing for his age he was 90 years old when this was filmed.

THANK YOU, DW AND RU-vid for providing this information..!!! I Had NO IDEA..!!!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽👌🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

Oh man, her curly hair is stunning. That straight hair was lowing down her true beauty.

oh my... she's 36 but looks 25

I'm black and proud.. The more people hate my skin colour the more I love myself and my skin.. The more you attack the more I protect and take care of myself.. Your hate builds my love.. Keep hating and I'll keep loving.. 😂😂😂 Crazy racists will never understand how it feels to be black and awesome.. Black is forever awesome.. Don't bother trying to change my mind

Great Documentary! Your hair is so beautiful. So glad you were open to letting her style your hair.

Powerful Documentary. Shout Out to the Song at the End! 😌🖤🤎🖤🤎🖤👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾💯

I think the reporter did an extremly well job! I really admire her for her social skills, she seems so emphatic and just knows what to say. I think it's a great docu!

Your naturally curly hair looks better than the straightened hair.

Excellent documentary! Very much needed and all done!

As a mixed race South African , I resonate with the sentiment of " not been heard and not really seen.as a person." I appreciate her authenticity. Thank you.

I am a Black American living in Germany, and I am so glad I was able to watch this perspective!! Well done!

40:34 you stated why as a child you didn't know why you wanted to be white. That was all that was around you and it made you feel different. That's a normal feeling. You wanted acceptance. Through education, you realized that who you are is more beautiful than what you though you wanted back then. This was a great documentary! Stay well!

THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH KEEP UP THE GOOD WORKS. 👍👍👍

This was very intriguing. Thank you for sharing.

She was already beautiful, but when she changed to the natural curls......WOW!....next level beautiful.

I'm so sorry to hear about these experiences, I never thought it could get this bad. I'm from Germany and I've never really witnessed or heard about such things. Thank you for making me more aware!

This video has touched me so greatly. Thank you for taking the time to put this together. I lived in Germany, Neu Ulm as a U.S. Army 'Brat' 1981 to 1984. I was 9 years old when I my step father, mother, little brother and I left Georgia USA to come to Europe. I could not see the racism but I had a lot of "fun". I remember the German Fraus loved black children. I felt love all while I was there. Playing flag football on base, going to the Dependents Youth Activities championship in Bad Tolzt was amazing. My team won 2nd place out of 22 teams... Hiking on volks marches thru the german countryside, going to "Smurf Land", sledding down snow packed hills and ice skating made making so many friends the coolest thing every. And all the amazing things you could do as a kid I will never forget. I remember my friend an I would peddle each other on one bicycle off base, out into the german economy to buy us our own large pepperoni pizza from Roma's Pizza in Old Ulm, and then carefully hold it while peddling back to base, making sure the cheese did not slide off the pie.. to eat it on the play ground. I would say germany will always be my life's greatest experience! Coming up to date, now having some college and training as an architectural draftsman, former gospel hip hop artist, reference "Brother Isaac - Affected by Redemption" and "Go Ye" , minor league profession american football, having the opportunity to have kids, now 25 and 21 and having studied ancient history(just on my own accord), I have learned that melanin chaos(Black Energy) is the force that baffles/worries our children(Caucasians). And I love your adopted mother and father for taking care of you. They are wonderful. Unfortunately, they and other good caucasian people have to deal with the fact that in their creed are people and entities who only want power and control and will do anything to accomplish this. We will never be understood totally this why we are continuously picked on and discriminated. The elite of caucasians have the power, because our priests and noblemen gave it to them back during the time of the Moors and Egyptian dynasties. And since they have had this power, they have made sure that they keep 'DISTRACTION' for high dollar pay in front of society, but mainly us Africans is their objective. They have even oppressed common individuals and in the caucasian race. They don't care. They have an objective. Programing us to see and make sure we only identify with being the most competitive performer chasing the carrot. Rather than use our education to research and find out what happened and what and where did the disconnect take place, (the councils of nicea), we strive to please our oppressors. We are advanced beings who have to stop imitating these new comers and ignore them and their technologies, because their technologies are only our talents and abilities, laundered, repackaged and sold back to us. We must deprogram our minds and reinstall the knowledge of self and proper assignments back onto our minds, that was given by the All and the universe and carry out THOSE objectives. I do not practice christianity in its Eu-Rope-pean doctrine, but as a coded teaching of the human Soul and the body, scientifically and spiritually designed. We are all Gods in the flesh, having our own human experience in this earth realm to grow our soul mind and prepare for the next life. Thats why we all have a right of passage here. Anything goes down here and the greatest hustler wins. So we Africans have to deprogram, reprogram and out hustle the oppressors. We are their mother and father. As long as you know this, NOTHING will stop you from accomplishing what ever it is that the universe has set up for you. All whites or caucasians who know this or don' t know this, but help us are empowered and blessed, because they are helping God. We all have a RIGHT OF PASSAGE in this earth realm and as long a we know who we are, what we are, and how to get along, racism will role off of our backs and will not touch us. Sometimes you have to know that you are just dealing with a child. So Walk Proud! But, while in Germany I learned to speak the language in the 6th grade, and when I got back to the states, I took German 1 in the 10th grade and German 2 in the 11th. I enjoyed seeing you speak this language fluently and use it for your profession. But realized, this is our language. All language and understanding IS OURS. We are the original teachers, scientist, medics, etc. Every story in this segment touched my heart. To learn of the abuse that was done to your guests was upsetting, but I was proud to see that they ulitmately prevailed against negativity and foolishness. I apologize to ramble, but I can go on an on. I'm seeking to relocate worldwide now instead of only in the U.S. states, to find Drafting work. Last year I started a moving service, servicing residential and commercial clients with moving and transporting their furniture and industrial items from Portland Maine, to Miami Florida and have had the opportunity to see many east coast us cities. I needed a change from the drafting projects and workflow here. The cities are all the same except for a few variances, but basically the same. In the past, I've thought about, will I ever go back to Germany for anything and why would I go back. But after seeing THIS video, confirms that my private study of ancients times of Kemet, Egypt and AirfRAKah/Alkebulon was worth something and now just clicking on your video and seeing your success and strong black people there in Germany, a place where Africans built some of the first castles, has made me add Germany to my possible places to visit/relocate to. Even if just for a 2-4 years, who knows who I could meet, what I could do, and what else I could learn. I love the study group you segmented and their devotion to being Black in Germany and the presence which was inviting. I know there is more to this. You are a life changer! I will subscribe. You have a first hand view of Deutchland and its current development. I would love your opinion on developing cities that have a growing black presence that could use a pretty talented Drafter. No Rush. You are remarkable. Stay Strong and danke und Auf Wieder sehn for now!

We all have these feelings. We all have done difficulty. We can become stronger. We all grow older and realize, we can have a voice and sometimes, it can be defined. Thank you for sharing

This doc really opened my perspective on the black diaspora globally. It's really so damn cool to be a part of that conversation on being black in this world.

It makes me think what are racist people really scared of..it can't be the color of someone's skin it has to be more then that

Hearing this stories... just grieves my heart... I am just speechless

Love how they got the South African song so right on (Minute 16:45). Captured the purpose of the song and feeling. Accent and pronunciation are also on point.

So many emotions in one video. The South African artist was a breath of fresh air& inspiration. Indira’s story was one of many in this video that broke my heart. Thank you for this video. Thank you for educating us. - an Afro-Latina.

I love being black wouldn't ever want to be another race

Natural hair looks absolutely beautiful ladies!!

This an awesomw documentery. Thank you for posting.

It’s interesting how so many comments pointed out her beauty and “ classiness” to somehow constitute her worthiness to not be treated as she had by a hateful group of people with a mental disorder. As if it is justified to treat black people ( or any group in society) who are not classy or perhaps beautiful from the standard stereotypical Eurocentric aesthetic should be treated inhumanly because of their race or class.

Such a beautiful woman. There will be a lot of jealousy too!

I thank you for this posting!

I've had a similar experience in primary school in the Netherlands. It was only a couple of years, after that I rarely experienced open racism. Still on the low-key but rare. That was from roughly '99-'03.

This is a true, transparent, and timeless piece of work. Thanks

Wow!! I'm so thankful to have come across this. I live this everyday!! I am half German half Tongan and people instantly discuss my skin tone and say "you're very dark for someone who is part German".. I'm so happy I've come across this ❤

Nice video and I really like the cover "thumbnail" it is very meaningful

Again, an EXCELLENT video. Jana's beauty has made it even more enjoyable.....❤

Wonderful! Thank you for making this enlightening documentary!

Oh no, why was the German language spoken dubbed with voices. Why not, have subtitles? I wanted to hear the individuals speaking German in conversation fully. Besides that, I am learning. Thank you for posting. I am sharing this.

Thank you for showing this

I really enjoyed this documentary.. very educational 👍🏾🔝

This was beautiful, my grandpa was blk and German. He passed away before I could meet him. I just wanted to know more about my roots and the struggles that had to be endured before my time. Wow!! Powerful documentary. Thank you for this post.

My parents are white. I'm white. I have straight hair, but it's brown, I have brown eyes and always tan skin. I'm litterally just a white girl in germany but I still got very badly bullied for being darker all throughout school and even called the n-word regularly. That was my name for a while. I started to doubt myself in a way. Do I not belong here? Where all of my family is? Just because naturally genetic variations happen to make me a little brown? A few months ago, when there was the attack in Manchester I went out the day after and a woman yelled at me on the street, like as if it was MY fault what happens in England? I'm Caucasian, an atheist, a GERMAN, but still Ive always been bullied and discriminated. Can't even begin to imagine what actual black people must go through.

this is absolutely beautiful!! so grateful to see we need the collective stories that we can share over time and space!!!

Accepting your Blackness is a journey. It’s beautiful to see how different ppl have found their way to embracing themselves✊🏾

So sad for people to hate themselves. I love being Black ✊🏿 I'm American.

Jana Pareigis Did A Great Job on this project, so illuminating

That mixed struggle the first guy talked about is so sad and real

I am actually afro german. My grandparents were born in germany and my grandmother was bòrn but moved to america and i am here with my mother in america. I speak german but lost most of its language when my grandmother passed away at my young age. Im currently 16 and living in america. ❤

She is gorgeous.

That was an amazing documentary. Thanks to Jana&Team.

As a educated African in Africa it’s absolutely so annoying to still be having these discussions. Africa is actually so beautiful, advance and we’re so much further away from this ridiculous stereotype 🚮 Lol hearing Robin speak was so refreshing. You can never mistake a South African accent for anything else 😂❤️🇿🇦

I am a black American and had a half German cousin who lived in Germany. He passed away some years ago, and I never had the chance to meet him. I have reached out to his to sons, but they are millennials, and I'm a baby Boomer, so there's no real connection. But I do wonder if they acknowledge their Blackness. Because of this video, I will reach out to them again. I think it's an awesome thing to embrace ALL that you are.

Thank you so much for this documentary. It was very enlightening. As an African American I felt incredibly moved and connected to you and each participant. Thanks for telling this story.

I m amazed at the man who was born in 1925. This doc was very interesting, very personal and positive at the same time

Epic Masterpiece. Informative, uplifting, and hopeful......

Awesome video.... I'm currently living in Germany. I'm from the USA but I've been living here for 4 months....Once again awesome video and the content.

Wow.....I was blown away by the interview AND the pentagram on the guy's hat sitting on his desk.

"Who's afraid of the black man?" is a kid's game similar to a game of tag where the "black man" tries to catch the others. However, this game is not about a "black man" as in dark-skinned but about chimney sweepers whose faces and hands were black because of soot. It's an old game that comes from a time when some poor people would sell their kids for a season to work as chimney sweepers. Kids were small so they could get into all kinds of small spaces but it was hard work and many got injured and died. So when the "black men" came to your town, it was a reason for kids to be afraid and hide so as not to be "caught" --> thus the game

This Documentary is PHENOMENAL!!

Great Job with this documentary 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

I lived in Germany when the wall came down in Berlin. I was a soldier in the US Army. It was a wonderful experience. But, I heard news reports of racist activity. It was then, as an American, that I realized racism exists globally, not just in the U.S. However, I focused on the great things that I could gain while I was there. This film was very interesting and I believe empowering in a very positive way for blacks from around the globe who live in Germany. Thanks for posting. I'd love to see more.

I lived in Germany in 80s for 6 years. Racism is very much prevalent. I am brownish. I was never part of the system. I was branded as a foreigner. Many Germans asked me "When are you going back to your home country" very frequently.

This video brought tears to my eyes. It's just so compelling that you can be ridiculed for existing as a human, with a whole lot of oomph. This is the proudest I have been to stand in my power as a Black woman, loving myself deeply and truly.