Ep 35: Je suis noir

In this episode we meet Deborah from Brooklyn, who’s about to pack her bags and embrace a new life abroad in Paris. France has been a place she’s always adored, along with the likes of other famous African Americans; Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and Josephine Baker to name of few. Countless black Americans have moved there for a particular reason, many were exhausted by the racial dynamics and conversations in the U.S. , just like Deborah who feels these are conversations that go in circles. France has prided itself on its citizens being “French” before identifying with an ethnicity and this is something that appeals to Deborah who’s chosen not to “lead with her blackness”. In this episode we go to France to talk about how black people are identifying, and discuss some of the tensions behind a word like “noir” that can be seen as an insult for some and pure pride for others.

Guests on this episode:

Deborah
Kevi Donat , founder of Les Paris Noir
Mame Fatou-Niang: Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies

Team:
Editor: Casey Miner
Producer: Natalie Peart
Engineer: Chris Hoff
Music: Daoud Anthony
Art: Neema Iyer