This book would never have been written if the children and grandchildren of two big families hadn't pestered me for years to put my memories on paper.

My children have had to suffer rejection, exclusion, insults and undisguised racism as a result of their heritage. Their children, the great-grandchildren of Theophilus Wonja Michael from the German colony Cameroon, whose African heritage is now barely visible, have rarely had to suffer such negative experiences. That means that if anything they are proud of their African heritage and their appearance. So the question is: When will there be a change in people's attitudes to Germans who at first sight look foreign?

There is no state-imposed racism in today's society, although racism still exists in one form or another, perceived in various ways by the people who are personally affected by it.

My thanks go to the children and grandchildren of the Michael, Schell and Koehler families, who have supported me directly and indirectly in writing this book. Especially to Jens, who faced huge problems transcribing my barely legible scrawl until I finally mastered the “hunt-and-peck” technique and was able to type myself. Also to Burkhard, who came to the aid of my non-existent computer skills.

No less thanks are due to my wife Gertraud, who was patient and persistent in keeping me motivated when I – too often – couldn't or wouldn't go on writing.

But it was also the encouragement of young people from the Afro- German diaspora, who wanted to know more about how black people had lived and survived in a white-dominated and sometimes racist world.

Particular thanks go to my agent, Joachim Jessen, and my editor, Dr Andrea Wörle, who made the publication of the book possible with her expertise, understanding and sharp editorial eye.