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Blues in schwarz weiss
The ever-engaging work of the controversial Afro-German activist/writer, MayAyim, covers a fascinating range of biography, politics, love as well as the absurdities of everyday life. Her unique ability to passionately transformdiverse subject matters into poetic language is revealed in this important collection of translated pieces. Her play with language is effective and at times transformative, as it expresses and exposes dangerous stereotypes and messages hiddenin the everyday use oflanguage and human behavior. Here, her readers will be surprised and frequentlyconfronted with Ayim's keen and powerful observationsof the complexities of life and the compelling richness of humor and irony within them."These poems have] passion and irony and always a strong magnetic force...for even her humor, her playing with words and her punch lines never veil the strength of her protest against racism, sexism, and all the other isms that add sadness to our society. In May's voice, I found the echo of other sounds fromthe diaspora. Her unrestrainedness, her humor and lyric expressiveness equal those of Lion-Gontron Damas, one of the fathers of Negritude....An extraordinary voice.Unique and already in the hearts of all of us that are persecuted and fullof thirst."--Maryse Condi, from the introduction to the German edition.
135 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
8 people are currently reading
572 people want to read
About the author
May Ayim
13 books45 followersMay Ayim (3 May 1960 in Hamburg – 9 August 1996 in Berlin) is the pen name of May Opitz (born Sylvia Adler); she was an Afro-German poet, educator, and activist. The child of a German mother and Ghanaian medical student, she was adopted by a white German family when young. After reconnecting with her father and his family in Ghana, in 1992 she took his surname for a pen name.
Opitz wrote a thesis at the University of Regensburg, Afro-Deutsche: Ihre Kultur- und Sozialgeschichte aus dem Hintergrund gesellschaftlicher Veränderungen (Afro-Germans: Their Cultural and Social History on the Background of Social Change), which was the first scholarly study of Afro-German history. Combined with contemporary materials, it was published as the book Farbe Bekennen (1986). This was translated and published in English as Showing Our Colors: Afro-German Women Speak Out<?i> (1986). It included accounts by many women of Afro-German descent. Ayim worked as an activist to unite Afro-Germans and combat racism in German society. She co-founded Initiative Schwarze Deutsche (Initiative of Black People in Germany) to that purpose in the late 1980s.
(from Wikipedia)
Opitz wrote a thesis at the University of Regensburg, Afro-Deutsche: Ihre Kultur- und Sozialgeschichte aus dem Hintergrund gesellschaftlicher Veränderungen (Afro-Germans: Their Cultural and Social History on the Background of Social Change), which was the first scholarly study of Afro-German history. Combined with contemporary materials, it was published as the book Farbe Bekennen (1986). This was translated and published in English as Showing Our Colors: Afro-German Women Speak Out<?i> (1986). It included accounts by many women of Afro-German descent. Ayim worked as an activist to unite Afro-Germans and combat racism in German society. She co-founded Initiative Schwarze Deutsche (Initiative of Black People in Germany) to that purpose in the late 1980s.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 25, 2022
Weitergehen Gedichte by May Ayim was one of my top favorite books of last year. It is rare for a poetry collection to hit me as hard as that one did. The book was re-published last year and collects the two poetry collections available from May Ayim.
Over the fall and winter season, I came back to these poems time and time again, that I knew a full reread had to be coming soon. This time around, I decided to rate and review the two collections - Blues In Schwarz Weiss and nachtgesang – separately, in order for them to get more recognition and talk about the individual highlights of these works.
One thing that I researched upon my reread were the meanings of the ADINKRA symbols that accompanied each chapter (and the title page) of her poetry collections. In case you don't know, Adinkra are symbols from Ghana that represent concepts or aphorisms. These symbols are often used in fabrics, logos and pottery. Each Adinkra symbol represents a word from the Ashanti language, a phrase, a historically significant event, a proverb, or animals or plants.
Even the cover illustration of the bind-up edition Weitergehen evokes an Adinkra symbol, namely WUO ATWEDEE - “the ladder of death” - which signifies the certainty and universality of death. It might seem like a weird choice but I find it hauntingly fitting, especially if we remind ourselves that May Ayim committed suicide at age 36.
The title page of blues in schwarz weiss and nachtgesang showcases the SANKOFA symbol - “return and get it” – which symbolises the importance of learning from the past. As I read up on the meaning of the different symbols, I come to the conclusion that SANKOFA is truly the most fitting and perfect symbol to represent not only May's poetry, in which she makes clear that she is standing on the shoulders of the brothers and sisters that came before her, but also May's work and legacy. May is, for us, from the past. Yet, her work has such magnitude and relevance that we still turn to her for advise, support and love today. We are learning so much from her. We will forever be indebted to her work and her sacrifices. Learning from the past is essential if we want to break the vicious cycle of history and keep from committing the same mistakes over and over again. I couldn't have thought for a more perfect symbol for May's poetry and life.
The other Adinkra symbols that came before every chapter symbolise bravery, harmony, warning against deception and hypocrisy, nurturing, wisdom, unity, endurance and perseverance. All of these virtues and signs align perfectly with May's life, goal and struggle as well. May Ayim is one of the bravest activist that I ever learned of, and with her endurance and wisdom she paved the way for so many Black Germans that came after her, she made our load so much lighter.
In her introduction, Natasha A. Kelly wrote that "May Ayim has inspired Black people to tell the violent story of racism and to look at its deep tangles with German colonialism on different levels." I couldn't agree more with that. May Ayim showed colonial continuities through her poetry and her work. She inspires us to do the same. These collections can be seen as her poetic legacy – a legacy which can be carried on, passed on, and retold "to the very edge."
Among my favorite poems are: "afro-deutsch I", "afro-deutsch II", "vertrauen", "die zeit danach", "soul sister", "grenzenlos und unverschämt", "gegen leberwurstgrau – für eine bunte republik", "exotik", "aus dem rahmen", "deutschland im herbst", "künstlerische freiheit", "blues in schwarz weiß", "zehntausendmal" and "nachtrag".
In "afro-deutsch I" and "afro-deutsch II", she was able to the ugly face of everyday racism and microaggression that Black people can't escape when they are among white Germans. May Ayim chose to write from a white German's perspective, so that these poems basically consist of questions and statements that show the arrogant racist views that white Germans hold, e.g. “Kannst ja froh sein, dass de keine Türkin bist, wa?”, “Ich finde, man kann nicht alles / auf die Hautfarbe schieben, / […] und so schwarz bist du ja auch gar nicht.” and “Wie, Sie waren noch nie in der Heimat vom Papa?” These poems literally make me scream YEEEES from the top of my lungs because they reflect so many of my own traumatic experiences growing up and still living in Germany.
"Grenzenlos und unverschämt" is probably her most famous poem but in my humble opinion, deservedly so. It is so powerful. So empowering. And as a Black woman living in Germany, I get literal goosebumps when I read the words: "ich werde / noch einen schritt weitergehen / bis an den äussersten rand / wo meine schwestern sind / wo meine brüder stehen / wo / unsere / FREIHEIT / beginnt / […] und wiederkehren / wann / ich will / wenn / ich will / grenzenlos und unverschämt / bleiben." It shows that May Ayim took hold of her own destiny and determined the own borders of her being, her freedom and her right to belong in this country, on this Earth.
"Deutschland im herbst" is my favorite poem in this collection. It brings tears to my eyes every time I read it because it is brutally honest and as relevant as ever. In the poem, May Ayim links the November progroms (and the subsequent death of Jewish and marginalised people at the hands of white Germans in Nazi Germany) with the rise of far-right fascism in Germany after the German reunification and the brutal killing of Amadeu António Kiowa, a migrant from Angola. The entire poem brings chill to my spine but the opening line always gets me the most: "es ist nicht wahr / dass es nicht wahr ist / so war es / erst zuerst dann wieder" – especially the part "erst zuerst dann wieder" resonates deeply with me on so many levels as many far-right fascist attacks get swept under the rug in Germany and are viewed as "Einzelfälle" (= isolated cases).
There are also quite a few shorter poems, most notably "künstlerische freiheit" (= “alle worte in den mund nehmen / egal wo sie herkommen / und sie überall fallen lassen / ganz gleich wen es / trifft”) and "vertrauen" (= “gelassen / wie ein spiegel / zeigen was ist / ohne angst zerschlagen zu werden / von dem was sichtbar wird / bevor was sichtbar wird”), that really spoke to me because May really managed to get to the bottom of the titular word and was able to define and describe it in a lyrical way so perfectly with so few words.
The last poem I want to highlight is "gegen leberwurstgrau – für eine bunte republik" because, like many of her other poems, it captured so perfectly the political landscape and situation in Germany and is, sadly, still relevant as ever:
Overall, blues in schwarz weiss will always have a special place in my heart and is a poetry collection that I can turn to time and time again. May Ayim's words are so powerful. I am so proud of her. I hope she is smiling down on us and is able to see all of her Black sisters and brothers taking up her burden and carrying her load, fighting the good fight and making good trouble.
REREAD (2022): Felt like reading this poetry collection for the third time now. I read it every year since I discovered it in 2020. May's voice is so important to me. Her poems give me strength and root me within myself. It's always a pleasure to return.
Over the fall and winter season, I came back to these poems time and time again, that I knew a full reread had to be coming soon. This time around, I decided to rate and review the two collections - Blues In Schwarz Weiss and nachtgesang – separately, in order for them to get more recognition and talk about the individual highlights of these works.
für YoliswaBlues in schwarz weiss is definitely my favorite of the two, and also ranks among my favorite poetry collections of all-time. During my reread, I was truly able to savour in May's words and marvel at her brilliant wordplay and her ability to get to the bottom of racism within German society and what it means to live in a Black body in our country.
und die vielen die oft
alleine kämpfen
und unbemerkt
sterben
die selten gefeiert werden
und doch unvergesslich bleiben
One thing that I researched upon my reread were the meanings of the ADINKRA symbols that accompanied each chapter (and the title page) of her poetry collections. In case you don't know, Adinkra are symbols from Ghana that represent concepts or aphorisms. These symbols are often used in fabrics, logos and pottery. Each Adinkra symbol represents a word from the Ashanti language, a phrase, a historically significant event, a proverb, or animals or plants.
Even the cover illustration of the bind-up edition Weitergehen evokes an Adinkra symbol, namely WUO ATWEDEE - “the ladder of death” - which signifies the certainty and universality of death. It might seem like a weird choice but I find it hauntingly fitting, especially if we remind ourselves that May Ayim committed suicide at age 36.
The title page of blues in schwarz weiss and nachtgesang showcases the SANKOFA symbol - “return and get it” – which symbolises the importance of learning from the past. As I read up on the meaning of the different symbols, I come to the conclusion that SANKOFA is truly the most fitting and perfect symbol to represent not only May's poetry, in which she makes clear that she is standing on the shoulders of the brothers and sisters that came before her, but also May's work and legacy. May is, for us, from the past. Yet, her work has such magnitude and relevance that we still turn to her for advise, support and love today. We are learning so much from her. We will forever be indebted to her work and her sacrifices. Learning from the past is essential if we want to break the vicious cycle of history and keep from committing the same mistakes over and over again. I couldn't have thought for a more perfect symbol for May's poetry and life.
The other Adinkra symbols that came before every chapter symbolise bravery, harmony, warning against deception and hypocrisy, nurturing, wisdom, unity, endurance and perseverance. All of these virtues and signs align perfectly with May's life, goal and struggle as well. May Ayim is one of the bravest activist that I ever learned of, and with her endurance and wisdom she paved the way for so many Black Germans that came after her, she made our load so much lighter.
die zeit danach (Gedicht in Erinnerung an Martin Luther King)I also really liked the symbol of KRAMO BONE - “warning against deception and hypocrisy” – because it is kind of the odd one out but very evocative of May's pleas and warnings throughout the collection. May Ayim didn't believe in compromises what it came to basic human rights for Black people. She also saw through the shallowness and hypocrisy of white Germans, German media, education and politics. May Ayim didn't come to play.
denn
reden hilft kaum noch, Bruder
sie nennen das meinungsfreiheit
und auch demonstrationen und protestmärsche
die brauchen sie
für ihre demokratie
und machen weiter und machen weiter und
machen weiter
sie haben deinen traum konserviert
konserviert und verkauft, Bruder
postkarten und poster
dreizeiler in einem geschichtsbuch
"I Have a Dream"
ein abgeschlossener roman
sie haben
vergangenheit daraus gemacht
weiß wie tränensalz
und da wo ich lebe
würden sie es "bewältigt" nennen, Bruder
In her introduction, Natasha A. Kelly wrote that "May Ayim has inspired Black people to tell the violent story of racism and to look at its deep tangles with German colonialism on different levels." I couldn't agree more with that. May Ayim showed colonial continuities through her poetry and her work. She inspires us to do the same. These collections can be seen as her poetic legacy – a legacy which can be carried on, passed on, and retold "to the very edge."
Among my favorite poems are: "afro-deutsch I", "afro-deutsch II", "vertrauen", "die zeit danach", "soul sister", "grenzenlos und unverschämt", "gegen leberwurstgrau – für eine bunte republik", "exotik", "aus dem rahmen", "deutschland im herbst", "künstlerische freiheit", "blues in schwarz weiß", "zehntausendmal" and "nachtrag".
In "afro-deutsch I" and "afro-deutsch II", she was able to the ugly face of everyday racism and microaggression that Black people can't escape when they are among white Germans. May Ayim chose to write from a white German's perspective, so that these poems basically consist of questions and statements that show the arrogant racist views that white Germans hold, e.g. “Kannst ja froh sein, dass de keine Türkin bist, wa?”, “Ich finde, man kann nicht alles / auf die Hautfarbe schieben, / […] und so schwarz bist du ja auch gar nicht.” and “Wie, Sie waren noch nie in der Heimat vom Papa?” These poems literally make me scream YEEEES from the top of my lungs because they reflect so many of my own traumatic experiences growing up and still living in Germany.
"Grenzenlos und unverschämt" is probably her most famous poem but in my humble opinion, deservedly so. It is so powerful. So empowering. And as a Black woman living in Germany, I get literal goosebumps when I read the words: "ich werde / noch einen schritt weitergehen / bis an den äussersten rand / wo meine schwestern sind / wo meine brüder stehen / wo / unsere / FREIHEIT / beginnt / […] und wiederkehren / wann / ich will / wenn / ich will / grenzenlos und unverschämt / bleiben." It shows that May Ayim took hold of her own destiny and determined the own borders of her being, her freedom and her right to belong in this country, on this Earth.
"Deutschland im herbst" is my favorite poem in this collection. It brings tears to my eyes every time I read it because it is brutally honest and as relevant as ever. In the poem, May Ayim links the November progroms (and the subsequent death of Jewish and marginalised people at the hands of white Germans in Nazi Germany) with the rise of far-right fascism in Germany after the German reunification and the brutal killing of Amadeu António Kiowa, a migrant from Angola. The entire poem brings chill to my spine but the opening line always gets me the most: "es ist nicht wahr / dass es nicht wahr ist / so war es / erst zuerst dann wieder" – especially the part "erst zuerst dann wieder" resonates deeply with me on so many levels as many far-right fascist attacks get swept under the rug in Germany and are viewed as "Einzelfälle" (= isolated cases).
There are also quite a few shorter poems, most notably "künstlerische freiheit" (= “alle worte in den mund nehmen / egal wo sie herkommen / und sie überall fallen lassen / ganz gleich wen es / trifft”) and "vertrauen" (= “gelassen / wie ein spiegel / zeigen was ist / ohne angst zerschlagen zu werden / von dem was sichtbar wird / bevor was sichtbar wird”), that really spoke to me because May really managed to get to the bottom of the titular word and was able to define and describe it in a lyrical way so perfectly with so few words.
The last poem I want to highlight is "gegen leberwurstgrau – für eine bunte republik" because, like many of her other poems, it captured so perfectly the political landscape and situation in Germany and is, sadly, still relevant as ever:
ganz bestimmt aberIn the poem, May speaks about how marginalised people are often tokenised and only heard when a specific event triggers their "necessity", e.g. before upcoming elections (where their votes might matter) or after a fascist attack so that white people can get their torture porn and marvel at Black pain. The reason why I love this poem so much is the empowering message of its last verse where May speaks of how marginalised groups have emancipated and empowered themselves and no longer wait to be invited, they simply celebrate their own festivities and only attend white events if they want to – "sie werden langsam frech / so'n pech / ein glück!"
kurz vor den nächsten wahlen
wird man sich wieder an uns erinnern
müssen wir unbedingt wieder dabei sein
dürfen wir wieder betroffenheit bekunden
müssen es sogar
sollen sogar
forderungen formulieren
und so richtig auf die pauke hauen
oder wenigstens ein lied singen
gegen leberwurstgrau für eine bunte republik
jedoch
die "lieben ausländischen mitbürgerInnen"
obwohl oder weil
noch immer ohne bürgerrechte
schmücken sich für ihre eigenen feste
und auch die schwarzen-
oder sonstige bindestrich-deutschen
kommen nicht mehr weil sie eingeladen werden
sondern nur noch
wenn sie selber wollen
sie werden langsam frech
so'n pech
ein glück!
Overall, blues in schwarz weiss will always have a special place in my heart and is a poetry collection that I can turn to time and time again. May Ayim's words are so powerful. I am so proud of her. I hope she is smiling down on us and is able to see all of her Black sisters and brothers taking up her burden and carrying her load, fighting the good fight and making good trouble.
REREAD (2022): Felt like reading this poetry collection for the third time now. I read it every year since I discovered it in 2020. May's voice is so important to me. Her poems give me strength and root me within myself. It's always a pleasure to return.
August 30, 2021
Ich bin eigentlich kein Lyrik-Fan aber hab May Ayims Gedichte in diesem Band geliebt. Eventuell überdenke ich meine Haltung zu Lyrik daher nochmal.
Besonders freue ich mich darauf einige von May Ayims Gedichten später auch im Deutschunterricht mit meinen Schüler*innen behandeln zu dürfen. Nicht nur Literatur von alten weißen Männern zu lesen sollte gerade in der Schule zu einer Selbstverständlichkeit gehören.
Besonders freue ich mich darauf einige von May Ayims Gedichten später auch im Deutschunterricht mit meinen Schüler*innen behandeln zu dürfen. Nicht nur Literatur von alten weißen Männern zu lesen sollte gerade in der Schule zu einer Selbstverständlichkeit gehören.
November 27, 2021
Ich wollte mir eigentlich Zeit lassen mit dem Lesen ihrer Gedichte aber es war so packend, dass ich nicht aufhören konnte. Viele haben mich krass berührt. Werde ich auf jeden Fall immer wieder durchschauen.
March 28, 2023
[…]
das wieder vereinigte deutschland
feiert sich wieder 1990
ohne immigrantinnen flüchtlinge jüdische
und schwarze menschen
es feiert im intimen kreis
es feiert in weiß
doch es ist ein blues in schwarz-weiß
es ist ein blues
[…]
-blues in schwarz weiß
in der schwarz rot goldenen
herbsteszeit
leuchten die birnen weit und breit
dann schreiten wir alle vier jahre
zur wahl
und wählen wahllos unser oberstes
wahlroß
der ernte sei dank
in diesem jahr war es
wieder so weit und
keinerlei qual
bei der wahl
nur eine
einzig' birne
leuchtete
weit und breit
und es war wirklich wahr
es war leicht mit dem volksentscheid
deutschland
bewies tradition und wählte wieder
denselben sohn
mit dem lieblichen namen
»helmut«
der ernte sei dank
[…]
-oktoberfest
das wieder vereinigte deutschland
feiert sich wieder 1990
ohne immigrantinnen flüchtlinge jüdische
und schwarze menschen
es feiert im intimen kreis
es feiert in weiß
doch es ist ein blues in schwarz-weiß
es ist ein blues
[…]
-blues in schwarz weiß
in der schwarz rot goldenen
herbsteszeit
leuchten die birnen weit und breit
dann schreiten wir alle vier jahre
zur wahl
und wählen wahllos unser oberstes
wahlroß
der ernte sei dank
in diesem jahr war es
wieder so weit und
keinerlei qual
bei der wahl
nur eine
einzig' birne
leuchtete
weit und breit
und es war wirklich wahr
es war leicht mit dem volksentscheid
deutschland
bewies tradition und wählte wieder
denselben sohn
mit dem lieblichen namen
»helmut«
der ernte sei dank
[…]
-oktoberfest
January 7, 2023
magistral.
mots choisis et engagés.
une claque.
(re)découverte d'une Allemagne post 2nd gM qui est en proie à un passé qui ne passe pas.
plus qu'heureuse d'avoir fait la connaissance de la voie de May Ayim.
un recueil à lire et à relire
mots choisis et engagés.
une claque.
(re)découverte d'une Allemagne post 2nd gM qui est en proie à un passé qui ne passe pas.
plus qu'heureuse d'avoir fait la connaissance de la voie de May Ayim.
un recueil à lire et à relire
October 9, 2025
sehr berührend und wichtig wie sie schreibt. Beunruhigend, dass das so lange her ist und man fast alles wiedererkennt.
mein Favorit "Aufbruch":
"die sterne
in meiner nacht
sind silberne lachtränen
zu allem bereit"
auch schön:
"weil
am ende
schon alles gesagt ist
egal ob wahr
oder nicht "
"ich z.B., ich bin aus Westfalen,
und ich finde,
da gehör' ich auch hin"
"fünf minuten braunes haar braune augen
ängstlicher mund"
"wir kannten uns immer überhaupt nicht
und nunmehr fast gar nicht"
"ich warte am telefon
weiß genau
du schläfst schon"
"heißt
zärtlich
sein
daß man einsam
ist"
"und da wo ich lebe
würden sie es »bewältigt« nennen, Bruder"
"AUDRE LORDE
lebte
ein gesundes widerständiges schwarzes lesbisches
leben
in einer kranken gesellschaft
auf einem sterbenden planet
sie starb nach 58 jahren
einen gewöhnlichen tod
diagnose: krebs"
"ich werde trotzdem
afrikanisch
sein
auch wenn ihr
mich gerne deutsch
haben wollt
und werde trotzdem
deutsch sein
auch wenn euch
meine schwärze
nicht passt"
mein Favorit "Aufbruch":
"die sterne
in meiner nacht
sind silberne lachtränen
zu allem bereit"
auch schön:
"weil
am ende
schon alles gesagt ist
egal ob wahr
oder nicht "
"ich z.B., ich bin aus Westfalen,
und ich finde,
da gehör' ich auch hin"
"fünf minuten braunes haar braune augen
ängstlicher mund"
"wir kannten uns immer überhaupt nicht
und nunmehr fast gar nicht"
"ich warte am telefon
weiß genau
du schläfst schon"
"heißt
zärtlich
sein
daß man einsam
ist"
"und da wo ich lebe
würden sie es »bewältigt« nennen, Bruder"
"AUDRE LORDE
lebte
ein gesundes widerständiges schwarzes lesbisches
leben
in einer kranken gesellschaft
auf einem sterbenden planet
sie starb nach 58 jahren
einen gewöhnlichen tod
diagnose: krebs"
"ich werde trotzdem
afrikanisch
sein
auch wenn ihr
mich gerne deutsch
haben wollt
und werde trotzdem
deutsch sein
auch wenn euch
meine schwärze
nicht passt"
June 3, 2018
Read as part of my German lit course.
So powerful and moving.
So powerful and moving.
May 29, 2024
das ist mein first aid kit
November 6, 2023
Wunderschöne, tief bewegende und kritische Lyrik, die (leider) heute noch genauso aktuell ist wie vor 30 Jahren - und deshalb viel mehr gelesen werden sollte. RIP May Ayim.
January 29, 2016
She must have been a great woman. Toll!
December 9, 2015
Way better than the English translation edition which has a whole bunch of essays that 1) make me think Ayim was more motivated by race and less by passion and 2) seem to jump all over the place.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews