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with each other and contacting other Afro-Germans, as they searched for and discovered their history. The editors and writers said they did not want to have to explain their existence anymore. They wanted to be sure of their identity and able to assert it to others. The editors went public with their experiences in this book, discussing their histories and the prevalence of racism, while sharing their own personal experiences. Opitz, Oguntoye and
Schultz felt that as they pushed for Afro-Germans to become more visible, future generations of Afro-Germans would feel less isolated and marginalized. This group identified as Afro-German, in part to prevent being defined by others.
31:
196:, where she later said that her childhood was unhappy. She considered her foster parents to be strict and spoke about how they used physical violence against her. This was one of the issues she explored in her later poetry. She later said that the family threw her out of the family home at the age of 19, which the Opitz family denied. She continued to keep in touch with them. That same year she graduated from Friedenschule, the Episcopal School in
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157:, "Afro-Deutsche: Ihre Kultur- und Sozialgeschichte aus dem Hintergrund gesellschaftlicher Veränderungen" (Afro-Germans: Their Cultural and Social History on the Background of Social Change), which was the first scholarly study of Afro-German history. Combined with contemporary materials, it was published as the book
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Opitz, Oguntoye and
Schultz decided to allow as many generations as possible to speak in this book. As the editors met with other Afro-German women and became involved with them, they connected with each other in a new way through this shared ancestry. The Afro-Germans began sharing their experiences
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Contemporary Afro-German women discussed their struggles growing up black in
Germany, and how individuals explored their homeland and multi-ethnic identity. In some cases, it meant trying to find black fathers; in cases of adoption, they sometimes tried to find both parents.
232:(Afro-Germans: Their Cultural and Social History on the Background of Social Change). This was the first scholarly study of Afro-German history, ranging from the Middle Ages to the late 20th-century present. In 1986, it was the basis of the book,
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and Ghana. She found her biological father, Emmanuel Ayim, then a professor of
Medicine, and developed a relationship with him and his family. She used May Ayim as a pen name from 1992 to reflect this connection.
353:. They stopped her medication, which had been based on believing she had severe depression, and discharged her in April 1996. Continuing to struggle with depression, Ayim was readmitted in June following a
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in 1996, Ayim suffered a mental and physical collapse. She was admitted to the psychiatric ward of the
Auguste Viktoria Hospital in Berlin in January 1996. The doctors eventually diagnosed her as having
146:, educator, and activist. The child of a German dancer and Ghanaian medical student, she lived with a white German foster family when young. After reconnecting with her father and his family in
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In 1992 she took her father's name Ayim, and used May Ayim as her pen name. She was active as an educator and writer, taking part in many conferences and publishing a poetry collection,
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medical student, wanted to have her raised by his childless sister, but German law made 'illegitimate' children a ward of the state and did not give rights to biological fathers.
169:(1986). It included accounts by many women of Afro-German descent. Ayim worked as an activist to unite Afro-Germans and combat racism in German society. She co-founded
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After a brief time in a children's home, Andler lived in a foster family called Opitz, who raised her with their biological children. She grew up in
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Ayim, May (2007). "The Year 1990: Homeland and Unity From an Afro-German
Perspective". In Göktürk, Deniz; Gramling, David; Kaes, Anton (eds.).
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2004: the May Ayim Award was founded to honour her. Presented annually, it is the first Black German international literature award.
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305:. She continued to write articles and poetry exploring the issues of multi-ethnic peoples in Germany and personal identity.
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2011: A street in Berlin
Kreuzberg, formerly named after a German colonialist, was renamed in her honour as May-Ayim-Ufer.
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attempt. Discharged again in July, she died by suicide on 9 August by jumping from the 13th floor of a Berlin building.
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Spring 2012 (published by
Foreign Language Association of Northern California Conference), accessed 14 January 2015.
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518:. Weimar and Now: German Cultural Criticism. Vol. 40. University of California Press. p. 126.
204:. She attended teacher training college in MĂĽnster, specialising in German language and Social Studies.
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Afro-Deutsche: Ihre Kultur- und
Sozialgeschichte auf dem Hintergrund gesellschaftlicher Veränderungen
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After a visit to Ghana, where she met her paternal family, she returned to
Germany and trained as a
185:, Germany, she was the daughter of unmarried parents Ursula Andler and Emmanuel Ayim. Her father, a
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The opening track on The Other Others eponymous 2023 album is called "The Birth of May Ayim".
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274:(Initiative of Black Germans and Black People in Germany). It is known in short as
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covers her life and this period of growing Afro-German identity in the culture.
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Farbe Bekennen: Afro-deutsche Frauen auf den Spuren ihrer Geschichte
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Farbe Bekennen: Afro-deutsche Frauen auf den Spuren ihrer Geschichte
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395:. Her writing (as May Opitz) is included in the 1992 anthology
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was a chief leader in founding this group. A film documentary,
278:(ISD), pushing for Afro-Germans to unite in mutual support.
453:, thesis, Florida State University Libraries, 2005, p. 3.
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Initiative Schwarze Deutsche und Schwarze in Deutschland
163:(1986). This was translated and published in English as
408:'s elegiac poem "Reggae Fi May Ayim" on his 1999 album
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in the discipline. After more travels, she settled in
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May Ayim's poem "They're People Like Us" is cited in
550:"Departure", "Afro-German" and "Afro-German II", in
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May Opitz's thesis at the University of Regensburg,
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Germany in Transit: Nation and Migration, 1955-2005
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541:, Third World Newsreel, accessed 14 January 2015.
450:May Ayim: A Woman in the Margin of German Society
732:Academic staff of the Free University of Berlin
243:Showing Our Colors: Afro-German Women Speak Out
166:Showing Our Colors: Afro-German Women Speak Out
150:, in 1992 she took his surname for a pen name.
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581:"The Birth of May Ayim, by The Other Others"
614:"May Ayim’s Legacy in World Language Study"
568:"Linton Kwesi Johnson - Reggae Fi May Ayim"
482:"May Ayim’s Legacy in World Language Study"
284:Audre Lorde: The Berlin Years 1984 to 1992,
171:Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland
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344:After working strenuously to prepare for
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181:Born Brigitte Sylvia Andler in 1960 in
539:"Hope in My Heart: The May Ayim Story"
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747:20th-century German women writers
712:German people of Ghanaian descent
727:University of Regensburg alumni
717:Suicides by jumping in Germany
247:1986). Opitz edited this with
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722:German anti-racism activists
664:Resources in other libraries
645:Resources in other libraries
276:Initiative Schwarze Deutsche
257:Initiative Schwarze Deutsche
153:Opitz wrote a thesis at the
330:Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof
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558:, Cape, 1992, pp. 932–937.
366:The 1997 film documentary
301:in 1984, lecturing at the
742:20th-century German poets
659:Resources in your library
640:Resources in your library
303:Free University of Berlin
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501:Blues in Black and White
462:MacCarroll (2005), p. 5.
314:Blues in Black and White
293:. She wrote a thesis on
209:University of Regensburg
155:University of Regensburg
91:University of Regensburg
270:Opitz helped found the
16:German poet (1960–1996)
737:German women academics
697:German women activists
447:MacCarroll, Margaret,
404:She is the subject of
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310:Blues in schwarz-weiss
137:Brigitte Sylvia Andler
42:Brigitte Sylvia Andler
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131:) is the pen name of
504:, BlackAtlantic.com.
406:Linton Kwesi Johnson
328:Ayim's grave at the
556:Daughters of Africa
398:Daughters of Africa
381:Cultural references
346:Black History Month
316:, 2003 in the US).
207:Opitz attended the
127:– 9 August 1996 in
702:German women poets
361:Legacy and honours
351:multiple sclerosis
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249:Katharina Oguntoye
626:Library resources
607:"May Ayim Teil 1"
525:978-0-520-24894-6
486:FLANC Newsletter,
480:Gerlind, Marion,
200:, and passed her
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692:German activists
618:FLANC Newsletter
612:Marion Gerlind,
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65:(1996-08-09)
687:1996 deaths
682:1960 births
653:By May Ayim
499:Excerpt of
497:Ayim, May,
392:Slumberland
387:Paul Beatty
280:Audre Lorde
141:Afro-German
676:Categories
590:2023-12-08
570:. YouTube.
436:References
338:Schöneberg
194:Westphalia
177:Early life
45:3 May 1960
410:More Time
133:May Opitz
87:Education
82:May Opitz
73:, Germany
631:May Ayim
419:See also
187:Ghanaian
121:May Ayim
113:activist
109:educator
23:May Ayim
585:Jahtari
554:(ed.),
355:suicide
238:English
198:MĂĽnster
125:Hamburg
53:Germany
49:Hamburg
628:about
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334:Berlin
299:Berlin
224:Career
213:Israel
202:Abitur
135:(born
129:Berlin
105:writer
71:Berlin
320:Death
217:Kenya
148:Ghana
520:ISBN
251:and
144:poet
101:Poet
60:Died
38:Born
332:in
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312:(
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