Name with a racist connotation: Black and People of Color group calls for the renaming of the Mohren pharmacy in an open letter.
At least since large Black Lives Matter demonstration Racist connotations in everyday life are being discussed again in Kassel. In addition to the so-called “Africa- Quarter” in Forstfeld, where many streets are named after former colonies or their German colonizers, is primarily the Moors- Pharmacy at Bebelplatz is the subject of the debate.
In an open letter The Black and People of Color group in Kassel turns to Christina Hartmann, the owner of the pharmacy. Because the current name is a monument to a racist term, the pharmacy had to be renamed, they demand.
Meanwhile, activists symbolically renamed some streets in the “Africa Quarter,” pointing to their colonial namesakes. The “M” in the name of the pharmacy on Bebelplatz also temporarily disappeared behind a wooden panel installed by unknown activists, making it an ear pharmacy. The action was not well received by the pharmacy operator and the police state security also took over the investigation.
Now the Black and People of Color group is trying, to smooth things over again. Your open letter is intended primarily as an offer to talk to the pharmacy operator. This is intended to initially de-escalate what they consider to be a “contentious political situation”., in order to then enter into a joint dialogue.
Despite all diplomatic efforts, their position remains clear: They call on the operator to do this in their open letter, rename the pharmacy:
“Make a statement and stand for an open one, anti-racist society, in which derogatory terms for Black and people of color are not used as a term for pharmacies, Shops etc. can serve.”
However, the group is not concerned with that, to simply force a renaming through social pressure. “A renaming should be the result of the confrontation with the historically grown, the racist meaning of the name.”
Whether the operator accepts this offer of conversation, still seems questionable at this point. Although she said, to have already toyed with the idea of renaming it. So far, however, concerns about alleged financial burdens and the resulting administrative burden have outweighed the concerns. However, a renaming is not entirely unlikely: In some cities, other Mohren pharmacies have already given up their name.