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Colonialism required racial classification. The idea that France has no history of racial classification is patently false and a-historical, and it’s colorblind policies have never been able to obscure its obsession with race. https://twitter.com/zaidjilani/status/1359175004605337601
Wrote my senior thesis (undergrad) on colorblindness and racism in France way back when in 2005/2006 so I’m definitely ready to fight this out.
You cannot separate colonialism from racism and race. Colonialism relies upon race and racism. It always has and it still does.
You cannot separate colonialism from racism and race. Colonialism relies upon race and racism. It always has and it still does.
Read this article: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1848&context=law_journal_law_policy
Also, Black people have A LOT to say about race and France, from Aimé Césaire and Frantz Fanon and a ton of more contemporary voices, including Fanon’s daughter, Mireille Fanon-Mendes
Please also check out the work on race and French policing by sociologist and anthropologist Didier Fassin.
You can read about how France forcefully aborted the pregnancies of Black women in Réunion by checking out a new book by Françoise Verges entitled “The Wombs of Women, Race, Capital, Feminism” published by Duke University Press.
And OMG, Isabelle Boni-Claverie @iboniclaverie literally wrote a book about her life entitled “Too Black to be French”.
There is so much more, @ZaidJilani. But I’m not an actual expert. You should consult brilliant Black Francophone scholars like @MariannesNoires, or @amy_sall.
Um, sorry, I’m back, because @ZaidJilani, you need to read about the #French #massacre of the Tirailleurs Sénégalais TODAY. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiaroye_massacre
(Cc: @KarenAttiah, who may also be interested)
(Cc: @KarenAttiah, who may also be interested)
It is certainly true that race is constructed & classified differently in different places. You cannot, however, say that there are no race classifications in France. That is a dangerous, violent lie that erases tens of millions of people who endure(d) French white supremacy.
