On July 15, 2025 the Black Academy hosted a public booklet reading and discussion in Mannheim to mark two significant occasions: the 5 year anniversary of its founding and a collective act of remembering Jacobus Morenga, one of the most important figures in Namibia’s anti-colonial resistance against violent German colonial rule. Together with the Antidiskriminierungsbüro Mannheim, a space was created for reflection, dialogue, and connection. Across geographies, histories, and generations. Germany’s brutal colonial rule in Namibia was reflected together, which lasted from 1884 until 1915. During this time Germany committed a genocide of the Herero and Nama people from 1904 until 1908. Until today Germany has failed to fully acknowledge its historical and moral responsibility. This also reflects in the lack of public discourse on Germany’s colonial history. Additionally, a discussion was held on Germany’s 2021 developmental aid agreement with the Namibian government continues to exclude the descendants of those directly affected by the genocide and cannot be seen as reparations for the damages committed by Germany.
The booklet reading also addressed Namibia’s first official Genocide Remembrance Day which was held earlier this year on May 28th. While the establishment of a national remembrance day can be welcomed, disagreements over the choice of date itself have been the subject of debate. Herero and Nama communities were not consulted in the decision process for the date of the remembrance day, which brought us directly into the discussion about who has the power to shape memory, and how colonial hierarchies can persist even in spaces that claim to redress them.
Through the reading of the self-published booklet on Jacobus Morenga’s tireless guerrilla resistance against German troops, and the open discussion that followed, participants were invited to think beyond historical facts and engage with ongoing effects of colonialism today. Questions around how legal and administrative tools were used to seize land and power were discussed, revealing the structural and bureaucratic layers of colonial domination. Many of which have legacies in current global governance structures. Discussions were held on how the cooperation between Herero and Nama, under the leadership of Jacobus, clearly demonstrates the need for solidarity, unity and organizing; especially in today’s political landscape.
This sparked a lively conversation about reparations, symbolic and material justice, and the need to center affected communities in any future process. Many noted how education, public memory, and institutional accountability in Germany remain lacking when it comes to colonialism and its continuities. Throughout the evening, it became clear that Jacobus’ story is not only a story of the past, but one that echoes in current struggles for land justice, historical recognition, and Black liberation globally. It reminded us that remembrance is not a passive act, but a political one. One that asks us to take a stand, ask difficult questions, and carry resistance forward.
The Black Academy, was proud to host this event together with the Antidiskriminierungsbüro Mannheim, not just as a commemoration of its anniversary, but as a reminder of the Black Academy’s mission: to challenge colonial continuities and to center Black voices in all spaces; not as an addition, but as a foundation.
