The film “Ausgang, Sofie,” featured at this year’s Pan African Film Festival (PAFF), was directed, written, and produced by Howard University graduate Zoe Munlyn. The film’s narrative is deeply personal for Munlyn, who reflects on an unsettling nightmare she had nearly a decade ago. “About nine years ago, I had a strange nightmare that I was in Germany, escaping from a rooftop with a Jewish boy. We ran across the top of a small green house, jumped, and landed in the backyard. We dashed through a fence, onto the street, and toward a boarding train bound for France. SS officers chased us, closing in quickly. I don’t know how the nightmare ended, but I woke up panicking because it felt so real,” Munlyn explains.
Since that vivid dream, Munlyn has returned to Germany multiple times to understand and capture the essence of Sofie’s life, the central figure in her film. She shares, “I’ve been back and forth to Germany trying to recapture Sophie’s life. I’ve connected with Afro-Germans, many of whom I’m still in touch with today. I’ve visited historic locations in Germany that stood out to me, watched any interviews I could find on the topic, and over the years, I’ve developed a strong empathy for the fate of Afro-Germans during Nazi Germany.
PAFF screened over 150 films this year, and “Ausgang, Sofie” stood out to me for two reasons. First, I have studied Nazi Germany for more than 30 years, and second, I believe that the policies depicted in Munlyn’s film, set in 1936 Nazi Germany, could eerily parallel certain contemporary trends in the United States, particularly under the current Trump administration.
In fact, some might argue that Project 2025, a current political agenda, mirrors key aspects of Adolf Hitler’s 1925 manifesto, Mein Kampf. Historians have even referred to Project 2025 as Mein Kampf 2.0. The concept of an authoritarian political agenda that targets marginalized communities bears striking similarities to the atmosphere in Nazi Germany, where Afro-Germans and Jews were oppressed under increasingly hostile policies.
When one thinks of Nazi Germany, images of concentration camps and gas chambers are often the first to come to mind. While the United States does not utilize gas chambers for mass executions, it has engaged in mass deportations on a scale that is equally concerning. These deportations often send individuals to under-resourced and uninhabitable conditions. Many deported individuals are detained in facilities resembling cages, a stark visual comparison to the horrors of the past.
Additionally, there are ongoing discussions within the current administration regarding methods to accelerate deportations. One such proposal is transferring incarcerated individuals to an expanded Guantanamo Bay prison. Another controversial suggestion is to send incarcerated U.S. citizens, legal residents, and other criminal detainees to foreign prisons. The idea of transferring U.S. prisoners to a facility in El Salvador is particularly troubling. For African American inmates, this would likely result in a death sentence, given that El Salvadoran correctional staff and prison gangs routinely target Black prisoners.
This concept might seem far removed from any formal agreement with a foreign country, but the true question is: If Trump has been able to implement half of his proposals in just three weeks, what policies might be enacted by the end of his four-year term? Could we, as African Americans, find our experiences mirroring those of Afro-Germans like Sofie during the Third Reich? Excluding mass racial genocide, the societal climate in the United States could regress to something resembling the pre-Civil Rights era, where Black Americans were consistently oppressed, marginalized, and criminalized.
Trump’s political strategies also include an effort to pacify African Americans through symbolic gestures. This includes pardoning African-American hip-hop stars like Kodak Black and A$AP Rocky, as well as African American drug kingpin Michael Harris. He has even recruited Snoop Dogg for Republican entertainment, further solidifying his outreach to hip-hop culture. Additionally, Trump’s widely publicized relationship with rapper Kanye West has created an illusion of solidarity with African Americans.
It seems clear that these gestures are part of a broader strategy to secure the support of a segment of African Americans who idolize hip-hop stars. By fostering a loyal, almost hypnotic fanbase, similar to the “swifties” who follow Taylor Swift, Trump seeks to appeal to an often unreachable demographic—impoverished African Americans who feel disconnected from the traditional political process.
Accompanying these pardons is the recent demand from the Department of Justice to remove charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams. This move may create the perception that the Trump administration is pro-African American. This perception could present a significant challenge for Democrats, as Trump’s African American support base grew in 2024, complicating efforts to retain Black voters.
The fate of Afro-Germans under Hitler’s regime did not start with mass executions. Initially, these individuals faced severe discrimination, followed by sterilization efforts. Over time, as Hitler’s policies grew more aggressive, Afro-Germans were subjected to the same brutal fate as Jewish Germans, ultimately facing execution as the Third Reich came to a close.
With Donald Trump in office, it is worth considering whether African Americans today could experience a similar trajectory. Will the lives of African Americans in the near future reflect the struggles faced by figures like Sofie during Nazi Germany? While the scale of racial genocide may not occur, there is a growing concern that the country’s political direction could lead to the marginalization of African Americans in a way that echoes the oppressive systems of the past.
For those of us who are invested in understanding the history of Nazi Germany, the film “Ausgang, Sofie” serves as a powerful reminder of how easily history can repeat itself if we do not remain vigilant. Zoe Munlyn’s personal connection to the story of Sofie demonstrates how one’s understanding of history can shape the future. The experiences of Afro-Germans during the Nazi era should not be forgotten, and it is crucial to recognize the warning signs of a society sliding back into a culture of discrimination, violence, and oppression.
It’s worth asking: How will future generations look back on this moment in history? Will they see the same patterns of authoritarianism and oppression that emerged in Nazi Germany, or will they recognize the need for resistance and activism to prevent such a descent? The parallels are not only chilling—they are also deeply relevant.
Ultimately, “Ausgang, Sofie” is more than just a film about the past. It is a reflection of ongoing struggles for justice and equality. As we look to the future, we must ask ourselves whether we will allow the errors of the past to repeat themselves, or whether we will work to ensure that future generations experience a world built on fairness, respect, and inclusivity for all.
As the conversation continues, we must not lose sight of the lessons taught by history. We must remain committed to combating systemic oppression, protecting the rights of marginalized groups, and ensuring that the mistakes of the past do not shape the future. Our lives, as African Americans, must not be confined to the shadow of history; we must shape our future in a way that fosters hope, dignity, and freedom for all.
