May Ayims politische Lyrik als Unterminierung rassistischer Sprache. Impuls fr einen Schwarzen

Study paper from 2021 in the field of Literary Studies - Modern Literature, grade: 1.0, FernUniversität Hagen, course: Literature and Cultural Difference, language: German. Abstract: Building on post-structuralist and feminist-postcolonial approaches, this paper explores the extent to which discourses are linked to power and how an intervention by the powerless, specifically Afro-Germans in this context, can take shape. This raises the question of whether and to what extent they can initiate counter-discourses and a shift in thinking within society, thereby experiencing participation in structural realities. May Ayim, a Black activist and co-founder of the Initiative of Black People in Germany, has made this attempt through her poetry. By analyzing a selection of poems, the study investigates the linguistic and rhetorical means by which poetry can become an instrument of politicization. In post-colonial Germany, colonialist language and thought patterns still exist regarding people perceived as Black, leading to ongoing racist structures. These serve to constitute existing hegemonies, which are not sufficiently questioned or only superficially examined by the majority of the dominant culture, as the discourses conducted largely overlook this issue. Knowledge is produced and reproduced from a white perspective.