Racist insults, threats and online hate are part of everyday life for many Black people and Afro-Germans in Germany, according to a new study by the Institute for Democracy and Civil Society (Instituts für Demokratie und Zivilgesellschaft, IDZ). The study, which was officially presented and released in Jena in December 2025, highlights racism as a structural problem deeply embedded in …

Institutional racism does not begin with open hostility or explicit exclusion. It often starts quietly, in everyday routines, expectations, and silences within spaces meant to nurture children. Drawing on recent research, Amal Abbass* examines how early childhood institutions shape the emotional safety and self-worth of Black children. This article explores the hidden costs of over-adaptation, empathy gaps, and identity erasure, …

Germany is preparing to overhaul its welfare system in a move that will have far-reaching consequences for millions of benefit recipients. The planned abolition of the Bürgergeld (Germany’s basic unemployment benefit and the successor to Hartz IV) and its replacement with a stricter “Grundsicherung” marks a significant shift in social policy, with tougher sanctions and new obligations for claimants. In this …