Who stands up against racism?

Antiracist protest in Germany has gained considerable visibility and influence in recent years. Black Lives Matter alone mobilized nearly 200,000 people in the summer of 2020 despite pandemic-related restrictions and received broad positive media coverage. Systematic analyses of the characteristics and social dynamics of anti-racist mobilization are still lacking. The research project examines, at the micro level, which (sociodemographic) factors facilitate or hinder engagement and which motivations, practices, and social interactions shape such engagement. In this way, the project provides nuanced insights into anti-racist mobilization in Germany. In response to current events, an additional work package analyzed participation patterns in protests against right-wing extremism.

The determinants of individual antiracist engagement in Germany have thus far been insufficiently researched. Representative population surveys such as the Volunteer Survey ( “Freiwilligensurvey”) or ALLBUS do not systematically capture engagement in specific thematic areas such as antiracist mobilization. Addressing this research gap, the project empirically analyzed participation patterns, influencing factors, and the social diversity of participants, thereby contributing to theoretically informed explanations of antiracist mobilization.

• Identification of individual participation patterns in antiracist mobilizations in Germany.
• Analysis of key sociodemographic, biographical, and motivational factors influencing antiracist engagement.
• Further development of theoretical approaches explaining antiracist mobilization processes.

The findings document a growing potential for antiracist engagement in Germany, particularly among younger people, individuals with higher levels of education, and those embedded in diverse social networks. Shared experiences of exposure within a postmigrant society reinforce this readiness. From a theoretical perspective, the results highlight that antiracist engagement increasingly emerges as a socially embedded practice structurally facilitated by demographic shifts and expanding experiential horizons.