By Clare Premo
Fifty years ago, a black politician named Gaston Monnerville was nearly chosen as France’s first vice-president, but his skin color cost him the post. The United States will soon have a black man at the helm, but France is pretty much in the same position as it was back in Monnerville’s time. Both countries share a message of equality and have heterogeneous populations; why then, is the land of opportunity a reality in America but just a dream in France? asks Claude Weill, Le Nouvel Observateur’s managing director, in this week’s issue.
The United States has faced its racial demons head on, and the black community has spoken out, says Weill. While today’s America includes a black elite in politics, business, and other sectors, it didn’t happen overnight. Targeted affirmative action and bold steps have been needed to throw off the mantle of slavery and discrimination.
France, on the other hand, has been downright demure. Although there are some common catchphrases, like “Equality under the law for all citizens, regardless of origin, race, or religion”, Weill argues that these are actually clever methods employed so that France can sit on her hands. And while being colorblind sounds honorable, this leads to a denial of the problem and so nothing ever gets better. In other words, it’s much easier to keep the status quo if you do not acknowledge that work needs to be done. For this reason, reforms aimed at helping minorities are few and far between; ideas like anonymous resumes and ethnic statistics have been quickly shot down. In a perversion of republican ideals, the call for theoretical equality has actually perpetuated inequality. While it’s taboo to change this perspective, Le Nouvel Observateur believes that this is the moment for action.
We’ll find out soon if France is ready. Last spring, French president Nicolas Sarkozy asked politician Simone Veil to figure out a way to introduce “diversity” into the French Constitution, and the report is being written . Will there be a political willingness to put the government’s actions in line with its rhetoric? It’s now or never!
