May Ayim

Photo: Orlanda Frauenverlag

Photo: Orlanda Frauenverlag

 

Country: Germany

Location: Hamburg/Berlin, Germany

About

May Ayim (May 3, 1960-August 9, 1996) was an Afro-German activist, educator, and poet.

Biography by Jaedyn Griddine

Memorial plaque of May Ayim in Berlin, Germany. April 2, 2012. Photo Credit: OTFW, Berlin. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 . Wikimedia Commons.

May Ayim’s story is an ode to those in the margins of society, who had to escape the strongholds of one community to experience the beauty of another. Her birth parents were German and Ghanaian; her mother eventually had to submit her to foster care due to laws that prevented her dad from becoming her sole guardian. She was soon adopted by a white family, from whom she experienced racism. Her negative experiences in Germany fostered a yearning within her to find her community; while in university at Regensburg, Ayim traveled to several countries, most notably Ghana, where she reconnected with her birth father and adopted his last name into her pen name (originally May Opitz). Ayim became foundational in articulating the Afro-German (Afro-Deutsch) identity in her works, creating an empowering identity for her fellow Afro-Germans who were both ostracized in German society and disconnected from their African roots.

Ayim practiced her activism through her writing. Arguably her biggest and most influential work, Farbe Bekennen: Afro-deutsche Frauen auf den Spuren ihrer Geschichte (Showing Our Colors: Afro-German Women Speak Out, 1986), a master’s thesis, synthesized history about Afro-Germans throughout history, proving that, though Ayim and Audre Lorde gave a name to the community, Afro-Germans had long-standing roots in Germany. This piece also highlighted the traumatic experiences of Afro-German women at the hands of the incessantly racist German society. This thesis intellectually catapulted Ayim into the feminist and Afro-German movements, and her work developed more and more progressive thought on these respective movements. Her poetry and prose bridged the gap between her identities by exploring her Blackness through the medium of the German language; most importantly, the language she used in her works was accessible to many, facilitating her community-building efforts. Her work Blues in Schwarz Weiss (Blues in Black White, 1996), a collection of essays and poetry, perfectly embodied this as a celebration of West African culture, the greater African diaspora and traditional artistic expression. This piece took inspiration from blues, a traditionally Black form of artistic expression, making it a unique piece of literature; Ayim also often performed her pieces verbally from memory as an ode to oratory traditions of passing down stories. She deserves the title of artist as well as activist, as her works called out oppression and uplifted marginalized people in beautiful, expressive ways.

In addition to the intellectual and artistic work she did, Ayim also helped establish real roots for the Afro-German community in co-founding the Initiative Schwarz Deutsch (IDS, Initiative of Black Germans) in 1986. This organization allowed Afro-Germans to develop a kinship and mobilize their activism. After the release of her thesis around this time, Ayim also gained international notoriety, which allowed her to spread her messages on a bigger stage. She attended conferences on racism and feminism, among other topics, and used her platform to further the advancement of all marginalized people. She used every moment of her tragically short life to solidify a place for minority issues in mainstream political thought. To solely glorify, however, her tireless work would do a disservice to her. Ayim’s activism was not easy to do, and her life was not easy to live; facing intense racism from a young age and fighting for her identity to be recognized as human and valuable took an immeasurable toll on her mental health. She must be remembered equally for her strength and her humanity.

Ayim was not welcomed into the German society she was born in, but she forged her own Afro-German community, leaving an indelible mark on the intellectual and political movements of the African diaspora. Her posthumous work Grenzenlos und Unverschämt (No Limitations, No Shame, 2002), a collection of letters and interviews in which she reflects on her gained sense of community through her activist work, serves as a testament to that. Her life and legacy speak to the importance of creating spaces for oneself and others, artistic expression, and mental health awareness.

Sources:

Written Works by May Ayim:

Other Sources:

  • Fountainhead Tanz Theatre Berlin, Black International Cinema Berlin. "A Dedication to the Poet & Author, May Opitz Ayim-Berlin Germany, 1996." Fountainhead Tanz Theatre Berlin, Black International Cinema Berlin, Footprints in the Sand? Exhibition, Cultural Zephyr e.V., THE COLLEGIUM Forum & Television Program Berlin.

  • Black Germans. "Performing Black German Identities Panel." Kevina King, “Performativity in Interviews with Black German Activists” Ela Gezen, “’Distant Connections’: May Ayim’s Blues Aesthetic”; Michele Eley, “Toxi Transposed? Branwen Okpako’s Tal der Ahnungslosen”; Jamele Watkins, “Waiting for Recognition: Investigating Race and Identity in Afro-German Theater".

GRAPHICS TO SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA: MAY AYIM

Germany, Afro-German, Women's Rights, Women's Activism, EuropeKeshia White