We Shall Overcome: The Impact of the African American Freedom Struggle on Race Relations and Social Protest in Germany after World War II

When Barack Obama gave a speech in Berlin during his 2008 presidential campaign, more than 200,000 Germans enthusiastically applauded him, and millions more watched on TV. When he won the election that made him the first African American President of the United States, there were celebratory parties all over the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). Moreover, the level of Obama’s popularity since he took office has been consistently higher among Germans than among Americans.¹ The roots of this remarkable phenomenon can be traced back to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, which was crucial not only for