2017 MPP graduate recognised for his leadership in fighting racism and discrimination in Germany and beyond.
Jeff Kwasi Klein is the 2022 Hertie School Alumni Achievement Award winner, recognised for his outstanding efforts in fighting racism as well as structural and systemic discrimination.
A 2017 graduate of the Master of Public Policy programme, Klein led the first anti-discrimination counselling centre for Black, African and African Diasporic people in Berlin from 2019-2021 for Each One Teach One e.V. (EOTO), a Black-led, community-based education and empowerment organisation. In the context of EACH ONE Monitoring, a project documenting and making visible anti-Black racism in Berlin, he co-authored the first report on Anti-Black Racism and structural discrimination in the Berlin police, published in May 2021. Currently, he leads EOTO’s May Ayim Fonds, providing financial support to the political and educational work of Black activists, initiatives and organisations in Germany.
An involved member of Berlin Migration Council board, the Expert Committee on Anti-Black Racism for the Berlin Senate and the Hertie School Anti-Discrimination Task Force, Klein’s impact in his communities is exceptional. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Klein took part in efforts of Black communities in Germany to help BIPoC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) persons flee war, find accommodation and seek legal and psychological resources in Germany and Europe.
“For his far-reaching work and commitment to community and against discrimination – in Berlin, in Germany and beyond – the Hertie School is proud to honour Jeff Kwasi Klein with our Alumni Achievement Award,” said President Cornelia Woll. “His leadership, drive and care set an example for everyone.”
Klein was born in Bochum in 1987 and grew up in Cologne. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the Freie Universität Berlin before starting his master’s degree at the Hertie School. His interest in community building began earlier – in 2012 he co-founded the German-Ghanaian NGO Boa Nnipa e.V. to provide education on sexual health, organise intercultural events and connect German and Ghanaian youth.
The Alumni Achievement Award, established in 2015, honours graduates’ outstanding accomplishments in public policy or public management, demonstrating an innovative and dedicated commitment to the principles of good governance. This year’s award ceremony will take place on Friday, 17 June, during the kick-off event of the 2022 Alumni Reunion and Hertie Summit. Jeff Kwasi Klein and Cornelia Woll will have a fireside chat, followed by a small reception.