GC Times Talk

In 1983--as France struggled with race-based crimes, police brutality, and public unrest--youths from Vénissieux (working-class suburbs of Lyon) led the March for Equality and Against Racism, the first national demonstration of its type in France. As Abdellali Hajjat reveals, the historic March for Equality and Against Racism symbolized for many the experience of the children of postcolonial immigrants. Inspired by the May '68 protests, these young immigrants stood against racist crimes, for equality before the law and the police, and for basic rights such as the right to work and housing. Hajjat also considers the divisions that arose from the march and offers fresh insight into the paradoxes and intricacies of movements pushing toward sweeping social change. Translated into English for the first time, The Wretched of France contemplates the protest's lasting significance in France as well as its impact within the context of larger and comparable movements for civil rights, particularly in the US.

First published in 1998, this book is an examination of antiracist discourses and practices in France. It sets out to trace the development of post-war French antiracism through the life of antiracist organizations, setting this within a broader historical, political and social context. It breaks new ground in that it analyses antiracism as a body of ideas in its own right, rather than as a mirror image of racism. The author uses previously unpublished archival material from French organizations combined with observations from current events. She argues that antiracist discourses and practices are structured around four main themes: discrimination, representation, solidarity and hegemony. While perceptions of discrimination have evolved into complex understandings of social exclusion, the representational functions of antiracist groups were challenged by immigrant workers movements themselves. Solidarity remained central to antiracist practices in different political contexts. Underpinning these features lies a hegemonic social project through which antiracists have sought to promote a 'common sense' through political and educational campaigns. The author concludes that French antiracism although constantly changing and refocusing is now a pluralist, transversal, hegemonic movement and an important component of civil society.

Decolonizing 1968 explores how activists in 1968 transformed university campuses across Europe and North Africa into sites of contestation where students, administrators, and state officials collided over definitions of modernity and nationhood after empire. Burleigh Hendrickson details protesters' versions of events to counterbalance more visible narratives that emerged from state-controlled media centers and ultimately describes how the very education systems put in place to serve the French state during the colonial period ended up functioning as the crucible of postcolonial revolt. Hendrickson not only unearths complex connections among activists and their transnational networks across Tunis, Paris, and Dakar but also weaves together their overlapping stories and participation in France's May '68. Using global protest to demonstrate the enduring links between France and its former colonies, Decolonizing 1968 traces the historical relationships between colonialism and 1968 activism, examining transnational networks that emerged and new human and immigrants' rights initiatives that directly followed. As a result, Hendrickson reveals that 1968 is not merely a flashpoint in the history of left-wing protest but a key turning point in the history of decolonization. Thanks to generous funding from Penn State and its participation in TOME (Toward an Open Monograph Ecosystem), the ebook editions of this book are available as Open Access volumes from Cornell Open (cornellpress.cornell.edu/cornell-open) and other repositories.