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Living in America: An Afro-German in New York


Audio: rbb culture | 06/08/2020 | Ute Büsing | Picture: dpa/William Volcov

Producer Mavinga Petra Petrasch

Living in America: An Afro-German in New York

06/09/20 | 11:58 a.m.

The Afro-German Mavinga Petrasch has been living in New York for almost 20 years. How is she now after the death of the African American George Floyd by police violence and what countermeasures are being taken, she has Ute Büsing tells.

When she saw the long iconographic video of the death of the African American Georg Floyd in the police grip (“chokehold”), Mavinga Petrasch could hardly breathe herself. She was dismayed and once more thrown out of her life, because police brutality against black people is almost part of everyday life in America. Since the police murder of Floyd two weeks ago, the independent producer has been a regular participant in the demonstrations against the deep rifts between black and white, rich and poor that shape and divide America to this day.

In harmony against racism, police violence and inequality of opportunity

Mavinga Petrasch lives on 118th Street in the heart of West Harlem. In the predominantly African-American neighborhood, the protests are largely peaceful. The Afro-German is well connected. All friends and acquaintances in their neighborhood and beyond are outraged by the systemic racism in parts of the police and society.

She herself has not yet been the victim of attacks. “As a black man, I would be more at risk,” she says. It is all the more important to her that African-Americans, whites, Latinos and Asians – especially many young people – demonstrate unanimously against racism, police violence and inequality of opportunity.

“No Justice, No Peace”

Mavinga Petrasch recently did the 3-Sat documentary “Al Pacino – Star wider Willen“Scouted filming locations in the Bronx. She has been working regularly with Afro-Caribbean photographer Hollis King for a long time. They portray mostly black actors and musicians. Currently, the two of them want to work with a musician who will write the slogan” Black. ” Lives Matter “transmits into his music. At a young artist in Brooklyn, she covers up with face masks that have the same imprint and the old civil rights slogan” No Justice, No Peace “.” The corona pandemic is not over yet, we need to keep protecting us, “she warns.

There are still a few cultural projects that start with the death of George Floyd. In a state of emergency, other things count first But murals are created in the land of graffiti – like, again, “Black Lives Matter” in giant letters directly on the street to the White House. This art action was initiated by the Mayor of Washington DC, much to the annoyance of President Donald Trump. Large cultural institutions, such as the Whitney Museum in New York, have heard the protests and have officially announced that they will increasingly open their exhibitions and programs to the black community.

“Say their names” – including white elites

In one of his many dedicated posts on the crisis, ex-President Barack Obama, who is still very much appreciated in the USA and internationally, suggested that the protest movement should also address and involve “white elites”.

Mavinga Petrasch agrees. In fact, there are legislative initiatives, for example by the Italo-American Governor of New York State, Andrew Cuomo, to immediately ban the fatal police attack called “Chokehold” and to enshrine further measures in a “Say their Name” law that black police- Commemorates victims of the last 30 years and stipulates countermeasures to prevent deadly police violence in the future. There are now similar projects at federal level.

Another jolt – after 400 years of racism

Mavinga Petrasch hopes that the mostly peaceful mass protests, in which, for the first time since Martin Luther King’s legendary March on Washington 1963, many white-skinned citizens take part, will cause a lasting jolt through the country. The systemic racism that revealed itself when George Floyd died was after all for 400 years “and not just since yesterday”, which has shaped US society. She agrees with Martin Luther King “We cannot drive out hatred with hatred, only with love.”

Hug (Source: dpa / Craig Ruttle)

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