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What’s Happening in France and Why Should We Care

And the government of current President Emmanuel Macron’s government has moved step by step to become a right-wing nightmare for French people whose ancestors come from Northern and Southern Africa.

Published

4 years ago

February 3, 2021

Kiki

France

A lot of Americans love France, especially its food and its politics. But “liberty, fraternity and equality” are slogans, and, as in the U.S., reality differs from the slogans

A racist, Trump-like figure, Marie Le Pen is now leading in the polls for next year’s French presidential elections.

Like the U.S., France has a police force with a reputation for brutality. Young Black and Arab men are hassled regularly. Police were caught recently on camera beating a Black man for fifteen minutes. Rather than reforming the police, Macron proposes to make it illegal to take pictures of them. And, as in the U.S, cameras are the only way to verify police behavior.

Macron implies that Islam is a threat to France and holds up cases of terrorism as evidence to support draconian new “security” laws. They now investigate 4- and 5-year-olds for “radicalization.”

As in the U.S., when an individual person of color commits a violent act, that whole community is looked on with suspicion, while a white person committing the same act is assumed to have an individual mental health problem.

Thirty-six organizations have made a complaint to the United Nations about Islamaphobia in France.

And, as in the U.S., there is economic discrimination.

The labor of people from the former French colonies was instrumental in defeating the Nazis in World War II and rebuilding the country from the devastation of that war. But whites ignored these contributions when distributing the new economic benefits of the post war world.

A Montaigne Institute study on fairness in employment indicates that a Catholic man named Michel would need to send our five resumes to obtain a job interview while a Muslim man named Mohammed would need to send out 20.

France is renowned for having a militant labor movement. Because of this militancy, the French people have hung on to more health benefits and job security than many other developed countries.

But this militancy has not often extended to fighting racism and Islamaphobia. In fact, a lot of the white Left in France has been silent on the issue for years.

French activist and thought-leader, Yasser Louati, argues that our two countries are headed down a similar political path. Americans may think we dodged the bullet with the defeat of Donald Trump, but the forces pushing toward fascism have not disappeared from either country.

In response, Louati suggests that anti-racists in both countries work together and internationalize the issues.

At first, I thought it might be difficult to involve Americans in such an effort given our general lack of knowledge about the truth of world affairs.

But the paradoxical impact of the pandemic has brought the people of the world together in a deeper way through our common real-world experience.

We’re locked up in our houses, required to mask, unable to travel, worried about finances and the death of family members. And a lot of us have joined Meet-Ups; language groups; virtual college classes and virtual international conferences, where we have been eye to eye with people from South Africa, France, Brazil, Mexico, Algeria, China, and dozens of other countries.

The technology to extend these experiences is expanding rapidly. It’s possible that one result could be an international revulsion against having our governments beat and discriminate against the brothers and sisters of the people we’ve been meeting in their living rooms.

A few possible steps toward solidarity:

French people have demonstrated in support of U.S. anti-racist movements. We can reciprocate in our protests and our speeches. The French government doesn’t like to have a spotlight on the ways that they do not live up to their slogans.

On an individual level, we can hunt for news about the struggles against racism and Islamophobia in France and elsewhere. A couple of links in English are: @yasserlouati on Twitter: CJL organization — https://www.cjl.ong/en/publications-en/, and CAIR.com
We need to get a deeper understanding of the struggle against Isamophobia and teach it to our children: https://educators4sc.org/topic-resources/teaching-about-islamophobia/
And more of us can start meeting our international neighbors from our living rooms: Here is one resource: meetup.com.

Kitty Kelly Epstein is a professor, the author of three books, and the host of Education Today on KPFA 94.1 FM

Kiki

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Activism

‘Donald Trump Is Not a God:’ Rep. Bennie Thompson Blasts Trump’s Call to Jail Him

“Donald Trump is not a god,” U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

Published

6 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Congressman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said he not intimidated by President-elect Donald Trump, who, during an interview on “Meet the Press,” called for the congressman to be jailed for his role as chairman of the special congressional committee investigating Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, mob attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“Donald Trump is not a god,” Thompson told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

“He can’t prove it, nor has there been any other proof offered, which tells me that he really doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” said the 76-year-old lawmaker, who maintained that he and the bipartisan Jan. 6 Select Committee – which referred Trump for criminal prosecution – were exercising their constitutional and legislative duties.

“When someone disagrees with you, that doesn’t make it illegal; that doesn’t even make it wrong,” Thompson said, “The greatness of this country is that everyone can have their own opinion about any subject, and so for an incoming president who disagrees with the work of Congress to say ‘because I disagree, I want them jailed,’ is absolutely unbelievable.”

When asked by The Grio if he is concerned about his physical safety amid continued public ridicule from Trump, whose supporters have already proven to be violent, Thompson said, “I think every member of Congress here has to have some degree of concern, because you just never know.”

This story is based on a report from The Grio.

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City of Oakland Celebrates Reopening of Main Library

“Libraries are such critical facilities for all Oaklanders, whether it’s children coming to story-time, adults reading the newspapers or borrowing the latest novels, and people engaging with a range of services and programs that the library hosts,” said Council President and District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas. “Such library services and programs are only possible when the facility’s electricity, heating, roof, and lighting are fixed and running efficiently. I’m proud to join this re-opening of our Main Public Library.”

Published

7 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Left to Right- Jamie Turbak, Director of Library Services, LaTonda Simmons, Assistant City Administrator, Nikki Bas, President Oakland City Council, Shen Thao, Mayor of Oakland, Carroll Fife, Oakland City Councilmember District 3, Harold Duffey, Assistant City Administrator, Sean Maher, Projects Coordinator. Photo by Kevin Hicks.

The branch had been closed since May for critical infrastructure upgrades

Special to the Post

The City of Oakland leadership and community partners gathered to celebrate the reopening of the Main Library after completion of critical infrastructure upgrades to enhance the library’s facilities and provide a better experience for patrons.

Renovations include new roof installation, skylight repair, critical electrical system upgrades, new boiler control system installation, auditorium heating and cooling system installation, and improvements to lighting, flooring and ceilings throughout the building.

“This is truly something to celebrate, the reopening of our wonderful Main Library! I congratulate the staff and our partners for this important project to make the Main Library a more comfortable place for everyone for years to come, said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “Thank you to Oakland voters and the California State Library for making these crucial improvements possible.”

“Public libraries are a wonderful resource for our residents, offering a safe space for learning and being,” said District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife. “It is critical to improve and modernize our libraries so more members of our community can utilize and enjoy them. I’m excited that the necessary renovations to the Main Library have been completed successfully and thank everyone involved, particularly the City team, who helped secured the necessary grant funds for this work.”

“I am proud of the City staff and project partners who kept this important project on schedule and under budget,” said Assistant City Administrator G. Harold Duffey. “The library is an incredibly important resource for our community members, and this project is an investment into the library’s future.”

“December 2nd was a momentous occasion for Oakland Public Library as we proudly reopened the doors of the Main Library following extensive infrastructure repairs,” said Director of Library Services Jamie Turbak. “Closing the Main Library for six months was no easy decision, as it serves as the central hub for our library system and is truly the heart of Oakland. Yet, this renovation was essential, representing more than just physical upgrades—it reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a safe, welcoming space for everyone.”

The City Administrator Jestin Johnson also attended the press conference and signalled his support for the completion of the record-setting completion of the renovations. Gay Plair Cobb, a newly appointed Library Commissioner said the Library represents the soul and brains of our community.

The Oakland Public Library secured funding for these crititcal repairs through a variety of sources. The California State Library’s Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program awarded the Main Branch $4.2 million. To comply with the grant terms, the City of Oakland provided matching funds through Measures KK, as approved by the Oakland City Council in October 2023.

The Main Library will host an Open House to celebrate the reopening on February 22, 2025, 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

About the Oakland Public Library

The Oakland Public Library is a part of the City of Oakland in California and has been in existence since 1878. Locations include 16 neighborhood branches, a Main Library, a Second Start Adult Literacy Program, the Oakland Tool Lending Library, and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO). The Oakland Public Library empowers all people to explore, connect, and grow. Oaklandlibrary.org

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Biden’s Legacy Secured with Record-Setting Black Judicial Appointments

His record surpasses previous efforts by his predecessors. President Jimmy Carter appointed 37 Black judges, including seven Black women. In stark contrast, Donald Trump’s first term resulted in only two Black women appointed out of 234 lifetime judicial nominations. The White House said Biden’s efforts show a broader commitment to racial equity and justice.

Published

7 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

iStockphoto.

By Stacy M. Brown
WI Senior Writer

President Joe Biden’s commitment to diversifying the federal judiciary has culminated in a historic achievement: appointing 40 Black women to lifetime judgeships, the most of any president in U.S. history.

Biden has appointed 62 Black judges, cementing his presidency as one focused on promoting equity and representation on the federal bench.

The White House said Biden’s efforts show a broader commitment to racial equity and justice.

Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to dismantle key civil rights protections, including the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“Having the Black woman’s experience on the federal bench is extremely important because there is a different kind of voice that can come from the Black female from the bench,” Delores Jones-Brown, professor emeritus at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told reporters.

Lena Zwarensteyn of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights told reporters that these district court judges are often the first and sometimes the final arbiters in cases affecting healthcare access, education equity, fair hiring practices, and voting rights.

“Those decisions are often the very final decisions because very few cases actually get heard by the U.S. Supreme Court,” Zwarensteyn explained.

Biden’s nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court further reflects his commitment to judicial diversity. Jackson became the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court.

Patrick McNeil, spokesperson for the Leadership Conference, pointed out that over half of Biden’s Black female judicial appointees have backgrounds as civil rights attorneys and public defenders, experience advocates consider essential for a balanced judiciary.

Meanwhile, Congress remains divided over the expansion of federal judgeships. Legislation to add 66 new judgeships—approved unanimously by the Senate in August—stalled in the GOP-controlled House until after the election. House Republicans proposed distributing the new judgeships over the next decade, giving three administrations a say in appointments. President Biden, however, signaled he would veto the bill if it reached his desk.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., argued the delay was a strategic move to benefit Trump’s potential return to office. “Donald Trump has made clear that he intends to expand the power of the presidency and giving him 25 new judges to appoint gives him one more tool at his disposal,” Nadler said.