Dr. Jeannette Oholi
Dr. Jeannette Oholi
General Cultural Studies
Institute of Cultural Studies
Tel.: +49 89 6004-3996
Jeannette Oholi is a postdoctoral researcher at the Chair of General Cultural Studies, headed by Eva Blome. She studied German Studies, African Studies and Media Studies in Bayreuth and earned her PhD in 2023 from Justus Liebig University in Giessen. Her dissertation “Afropäische Ästhetiken. Plurale Schwarze Identitätsentwürfe in literarischen Texten des 21. Jahrhunderts” (Afropean Aesthetics: Plural Black Identity Constructs in 21st-Century Literary Texts) was published by transcript in 2024. After completing her doctorate, she spent two years as a Mellon Postdoc Fellow at Dartmouth College in the United States.
Her research focuses on topics including migration, diaspora, practices of resistance, and antiracism. She is particularly interested in marginalized writers in Germany and Europe during the 20th and 21st centuries. She places special emphasis on Black Europe and has conducted extensive research on Black German literature. In addition, she engages with postcolonial, racism-critical, and other power-critical theories of literature and culture.
These areas of focus are also reflected in her habilitation project, in which she explores the intersections of antiracism, memory culture, and German-language literature by racialized writers. She also enjoys engaging with audiences outside of academic institutions and has, among others, participated in the Black Literature Festival “Resonanzen” in 2022 and 2023, moderated literary events, and taken part in other public events.
Latest Publications
- Books
Schwarze deutsche Literatur. Ästhetische und aktivistische Interventionen von den 1980er Jahren bis heute. Bielefeld: transcript 2025.
Afropäische Ästhetiken. Plurale Schwarze Identitätsentwürfe in literarischen Texten des 21. Jahrhunderts. Bielefeld: transcript 2024.
[zusammen mit Sharon Dodua Otoo und den Ruhrfestspielen Recklinghausen] Resonanzen – Schwarzes Literaturfestival. Eine Dokumentation. Leipzig: Spector Books 2022.
- Articles
(forthcoming) Überlegungen zu Machtkritik, interkultureller Literaturwissenschaft und Verflechtungen in einer pluralen Gesellschaft. In: Husser, Irene / Köhler, Sigrid (Hg.): Diversität als literaturwissenschaftliche Praxis. Schiller-Jahrbuch 2026.
(forthcoming) [with Ela Gezen] Anthologien als affektive Erinnerungsräume. Formierung widerständiger und antirassistischer Gemeinschaften in Worte wie Honig und Von Gästen und Geistern. In: Graur, Patrick / Villinger, Antonia (Hg.): Literarische Gruppen nach 1945. Literatursoziologische und kulturwissenschaftliche Perspektiven. J.B.Metzler 2026.
Schwarze Vertragsarbeiter*innen in der DDR. Birgit Weyhes Graphic Novel Madgermanes als pluralisierte Erinnerung an ‚Gastarbeit‘ lesen. In: El Hissy, Maha (Hg.): „Die ganze Geschichte fasse ich an der Hand“. Literatur und Kunst zur Einwanderung ins Nachkriegsdeutschland. Berlin: Verbrecher Verlag 2025, S. 39-68.
- Other Contributions
Die Sprache bewohnen. Eine Laudatio für May Ayim. In: Rundbrief Nr. 7, Edition Zweifel 2026.
[with Jamele Watkins] Un/Doing Blackness in Switzerland. A Conversation with Rachel M’Bon & Pamela Ohene-Nyako. In: Feminist German Studies 41.1 & 2. University of Nebraska Press 2026, S. 42-52.
Teaching Experience and Teaching Philosophy
Throughout my academic career, I have taught thematic seminars in both German and English, such as “Einführung in die Schwarze deutsche Literatur”, “Literatur in der postmigrantischen Gesellschaft” and “Contemporary Black British Literature.”
The following aspects are particularly important to me in my teaching. Firstly, I strive to create spaces for open exchange where students feel comfortable and where critical discussions can take place. Secondly, I aim to encourage students to engage with topics both individually and as a group and to expand their existing knowledge. Thirdly, I view transparency toward students and providing feedback as an important part of my teaching.