Gauss-Telegraph: Online vigils against racism

Although racism is an issue of lasting relevance, recent sad events, e.g. the death of the dark-skinned American George Floyd have brought more attention than before to the topic. There were also protests against police violence in Germany and the announcement by the Stuttgart police after the “riot night” that they wanted to ask the civil registry offices about the nationality of the suspects’ parents further fueled the discussion.

The weekly online vigil against Racism of the Gauss Friends deals with these and other topics. It was created after this year’s Festival contre le racisme because the fight against racism is an ongoing process.
In the context of virtual discussions and conversations, the main aim is to report personal experiences based on various key questions. Interested persons, associations and organizations are welcome to actively participate in the vigils and are asked to contact us in advance via email (info@gauss-friends.org) or via Facebook message.

The vigils take place every Thursday evening and are broadcast live on Facebook.

The next vigil on July 23, 2020 will deal with the question of whether one can be “non-racist” at all. In recent weeks and months, various websites and newspapers have published tests with titles such as “How racist am I?” or “Am I a racist without realizing it?” Such tests are primarily intended to sensitize people who are convinced that they are never think or act racist. Frequently mentioned reasons why you cannot be a racist must be questioned, for example the statement “I have friends with a migration background”. Is it actually racist to distinguish between Germans and Germans with a migration background? The limits of what acts are considered racist are also often discussed.

Here is a list of the next vigils:
July 23 Topic: „Is someone not a racist?“
July 30 Topic: „What is the difference between political correctness and direct discriminatory statements?”
August 6 Topic: „Who are People of Color?”
August 13 Topic: „BlackLivesMatter vs. AllLivesMatter“