“Nicht die Ersten” (“Not the First”) searches for memories and movement histories of queer Black people and People of Color in Germany from the 1980s to the present day. The focus is on the narratives of activists themselves, who write about their memories of movement history(ies). The volume is an activist intervention in a cis-heteronormative history of anti-racist struggles on the one hand, and a white narrative of queer history on the other. “Nicht die Ersten” is both a movement archive and a contribution to a queer of color critical perspective in the German-speaking context. It asks where, when and how history(ies) are remembered and points out that social struggles are always interrelated in concrete and abstract terms. Today’s struggles are based on past conflicts and always have a history – however fragmentary or fragile this history may appear. “Nicht die Ersten” thus writes queer movement history(ies) of color in Germany.

In an intergenerational exchange on September 7, together with our authors, we will dedicate ourselves to the diverse stories of activism, community, art and culture of queers of color in Germany. We will look for what connects our struggles: between communities, practices and generations; and ask how we can learn from each other for the present.

Location: District Center Familiengarten, Kreuzberg, Oranienstraße 34, 109999 Berlin

A cooperation of ver/sammeln antirassistischer Kämpfe, the Schwules Museum Berlin and the Stadtteilzentrum Familiengarten. With the kind support of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and the University of Göttingen.

More on the book here.