Sully Sanon arrived in Germany from Haiti as a 25-year-old to study theology at a seminary in the state of Saxon Anhalt.

“I remember there was a charitable event at the church, we were handing out food parcels and clothing for those in need, and this man came and he accepted our help, but bluntly told me that he didn’t like Black people. It’s not like he was poor or uneducated, he was well-travelled, well-educated but said he just doesn't like Black people. He said it’s just a feeling that he has, at times,” Sully says. Life in Germany has surely tested Sully’s pastoral patience.

The survey looks at 14 aspects of life, and in all of them, respondents affirmatively reported racism and discrimination.

Respondents surveyed further revealed that “over 90 percent had their hair being grabbed without being asked.

over 56 percent saying they are asked if they sell drugs and over 60 percent also reported being stopped and searched by the police for no reason”.

Two-thirds of the respondents to the survey also confirmed that they had received lower grades than other classmates for the same performance at school or university due to racism.

Diplab Basu of Reach Out, an NGO helping victims of racism and discrimination, says that of all racial minority groups, Black people are hit the hardest.
“At school, students and teachers both victimise Black students, they are often marginalised, often punished for trivial issues. Housing is another major issue, we get lots of complaints, almost all of my clients will tell you that they are discriminated against when it comes to housing,” says Basu.

We've given up now, it’s been three years,” recounts Sully, as he narrates the difficulties of finding an apartment in Berlin as a Black person.

Sully lives in Berlin with his Italian-German wife and three children. He is now a pastor in a church.

We've knocked on so many doors, almost literally, we have the money, we have the jobs, no criminal background but still we can’t rent a new house or a flat,” he adds. He has no qualms in putting the blame squarely on widespread discrimination “Because we have foreign names.”

“People have told us on the phone, yes, we'll give you the apartment but, in one case, they ghosted us when they heard our names,” says Sully.

Some of those we reach out to are these big housing societies, partly owned by the government. But even they discriminate.”

Sully's wife is training for a job that is likely to take the family on a global jaunt. Sully is also very eager. This could be their golden ticket out of Germany and, perhaps, finally into a bigger house, somewhere else.