Racism in USA and Germany focus of recent RIAS zoom talks
RIAS alumni Yami Virgin from San Antonio, Texas and Peter Mücke from ARD radio in New York talked about life in the United States during the Covid-19 crisis in two separate RIAS zoom talks, the protests sweeping the United States and the 2020 election season.
In addition, Greens politician Özcan Mutlu from the central Berlin district of Mitte-Kreuzberg talked to a further RIAS zoom talk group about racism and the political landscape in Germany.
In another RIAS zoom talk, New York Times video journalist Ainara Tiefenthäler talked about the detailed examination that she and a team of reporters worked on of the moments leading up to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis that triggered nationwide protests. Here is a link to the video from Tiefenthäler, who won a RIAS media prize in 2019.
Yami Virgin, an anchor/reporter at Fox San Antonio in Texas, talked about the impact that Covid-19 is having on San Antonio, the recent wave of protests and the 2020 election in Texas. She said that work has been a challenge for the last three months as she and most of her colleagues have been working from home. An enthusiastic station week host for more than a dozen German journalists on RIAS programs over the years, Virgin also spoke about the protests and looting that have taken place in San Antonio.
Peter Mücke, who took part in a RIAS program to the United States in 2001, is one of two ARD radio correspondents based in New York. He has also worked for ARD from Berlin, New Delhi and Tokyo. He spoke about the popularity of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and contrasted that with some of his earlier comments downplaying Covid-19.
Özcan Mutlu, a regular guest speaker for groups of American RIAS fellows visiting Germany, talked about racism in Germany and some of his own personal experiences being interrogated by police even after another motorist crashed into his car from behind. A member of parliament until 2017, Mutlu talked about anti-police brutality demonstrations spreading across Germany in solidarity with the protests taking place throughout the United States. Mutlu also spoke about the 2021 election in Germany.
