Weeks Against Racism: TUD participates with workshops & film series

“Speak up” is the theme of this year’s International Weeks Against Racism. TU Dresden is taking this prompt to heart. In collaboration with the SLUB the university is participating in the campaign by hosting various events in the weeks from March 20 to April 6, 2023. All offers are free of charge and open to all TUD students and employees as well as external persons.

An empowerment workshop provides a safe space to people who have experienced racism to exchange experiences and needs without being challenged. Participants will develop strategies for coping with racist experiences in everyday life and strengthen their self-empowerment. The workshop will take place on March 23 and will be held in English. It is geared toward black people, people of color and people with a (family) history of migration or seeking refuge. Registration is required.

Complementary to this, an online workshop with a focus on "Critical Whiteness" offers an introduction to introspective examination of racism and one’s own whiteness. Because even without intending or noticing it, white people profit from a number of advantages as a result of racism and are complicit with systemic racism. The workshop will take place on March 29 and will be conducted in German. The offer is aimed at people who see themselves as part of the white majority in society. Registration is required.

The film series at Kino im Kasten starts on March 23 with Rainer Werner Fassbinder's classic movie "Ali: Fear eats the Soul”. It deals with the relationship between 60-year-old cleaning lady Emmi and the much younger Moroccan guest worker Ali. Their love is put to the test by the harsh rejection of their environment. To commence the event, Dr. Johannes Schütz, Research Associate at the Chair of Modern and Contemporary History, will hold a brief lecture on the history of migration and racism after 1945 in a German-German comparison. On March 30, Kino im Kasten will show "American History X". Refined by his experiences in prison, the once violent neo-Nazi Derek tries to prevent his little brother from making the same mistakes he did. In his brief introductory lecture, Jun.-Prof. Moritz Ingwersen, Chair of North American Literature with a Focus on Future Studies, will provide a critical classification of the film and shed light on current U.S. developments. The film series ends on April 5 with a surprise film by Jordan Peele. In it, racial threat becomes a horror plot when a visit to the future in-laws turns into a nightmare for the black protagonist Chris. To open the event, Prof. Carsten Junker, Chair of American Studies with a Focus on Diversity Studies, will hold a brief lecture on the subject matter of the film.

For more information on the program and to access workshop registration forms, visit tud.de/iwgr.