Celebrated filmmaker, author, and actress Mo Asumang, who has long been a passionate activist in the fight against racism in Germany, was recently a guest of the German Studies program at MIT Global Languages. For her work on promoting dialogue to combat racism, Asumang has been awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit by the Federal Republic of Germany.

On Wednesday, September 18th, 2024, Mo Asumang presented her documentary Die Arier (The Aryans) in person. In this powerful feature-length film, Asumang embarks on a personal journey to come to terms with her identity as a Black German. She uncovers the roots of the concept of “the master race”, goes to neo-Nazi rallies in Germany, and meets with notorious neo-Nazis in the US. After the screening, Asumang held a conversation with Senior Lecturer in German Dagmar Jaeger and the audience, in which she advocated for integration and reconciliation. She emphasized the importance of focusing on what we stand for, rather than merely what we stand against. Asumang argued that positive values resonate more strongly than the approach of building a “firewall” against neo-Nazi ideologies, which, she noted, often shuts down the possibility of meaningful dialogue in an already polarized political climate.

Students of German had the chance to engage more deeply with Asumang during her visit to the 21G.412 German Literature and Culture class on the following day, September 19th. The students had read Mo Asumang’s critical examination and deconstruction of the notion of the “Aryan” beforehand, and were able to expand their understanding of her work through dialogue and discussion.  During her class visit, Asumang offered her perspective on the current political climate in Germany, particularly the recent election in Eastern Germany and the consolidation of right-wing political parties there.  She encouraged students to remain vigilant, stay informed, ask questions, fact-check, and engage in ongoing dialogue. Her visit concluded with a warm gathering of Kaffee und Kuchen, where she mingled with both students from the German program and faculty from Global Languages and beyond.

Mo Asumang’s visit was supported by MIT Global Languages, CAST, the Kelly Douglas fund, and the Goethe Institute Boston.