Borderless and Brazen: May Ayim's Internationalism

Sponsors: Institute of European Studies at UC Berkeley and German Historical Institute Pacific Regional Office

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This presentation by Dr. Tiffany N. Florvil (University of New Mexico) argues that May Ayim’s antiracist, diasporic, and feminist engagement encompassed a grassroots Black internationalism that showed her commitment to confront inequality and entrenched discrimination. Her internationalism was also rooted in the local, as she drew attention to examples of oppression at all levels in German society. By traversing multiple borders, Ayim not only produced and shared knowledge about Afro-Germans, but also forged kinships with individuals across the Black diaspora, People of Color, and white allies. These transnational exchanges and networks helped her achieve recognition as one of the most promising Black German activist-intellectuals of her generation.