The French authorities continues to show a blind eye to racism-related points regardless of 9 out of 10 Black individuals within the nation going through varied ranges of discrimination, in line with French politician and activist Patrick Lozes.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Lozes, the founder-president of the Representative Council of Black Associations (CRAN), make clear the racism and discrimination Black individuals in France face every day.
Drawing consideration to the findings of a survey performed by the impartial analysis firm Ipsos, Lozes stated: “What the participants of the survey say is that there is discrimination in many areas of life. An overwhelming majority, 91% of Black people in France, say they are exposed to discrimination in daily life. This means discrimination is a huge concern for almost every Black French.”
He famous that Black individuals face discrimination when searching for a house or a job. “When you call and say you want a house and they realize you are Black, they may say that the house is not available. You will not be promoted. When you apply for a job, you send your resume and a few minutes later you are informed that the position is now filled. However, the position is still open to someone else who applied for the same position a few minutes after you.”
Lozes additional underlined that discrimination additionally happens in probably the most primary companies, resembling public transportation, and said that some French individuals assume that “Black people should get on after them” when getting on a bus or practice.
‘Prejudice in opposition to Blacks’
He additionally identified that Black individuals are not sufficiently represented within the French National Assembly, in high-level positions within the military, or in managerial positions in corporations. “There is prejudice against Black people. People think that black people are not talented enough. This is an obstacle.”
He recalled how Carlos Martens Bilongo a Black lawmaker from La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) celebration confronted a racist verbal assault by far-right deputy Gregoire de Fournas within the National Assembly in 2022.
“Bilongo was asked by one of the MPs to ‘go back to Africa.’ Can you say that to a member of parliament, a French member of parliament? If he was white, no one would be able to do that. It was absolutely shocking, but that’s exactly what Black people face on the streets.”
Lozes additionally stated: “When you’re elected to the National Assembly, even your parliamentary colleagues can be racist towards you.”
“This is outrageous. The government must now accept that not all people in France are equal. As a country, we have absolutely wonderful values. I am French, I am proud of our values, but our values should apply to everyone, regardless of color,” Lozes stated.
Ethnic profiling
Stating that the French police perform ethnic profiling of Black individuals, Lozes stated: “Most Black people are subject to more police checks and questioning than non-Black people.”
He additionally clarified that not each police officer is racist, however “there is racism within the police force.”
He emphasised that it’s improper to criminalize Black individuals due to their pores and skin shade. “We should not be subjected to racism in our own country just because of our skin color. This is not fair. It is not fair for this country, which I appreciate and love. I would like France to be recognized as a country where there is equality, and racism is eliminated,” Lozes stated
Referring to the notion the media is creating about Black individuals, Lozes stated: “I do not understand why newspapers, when a crime is committed somewhere, only report the crime, but when a Black person commits the crime, they emphasize that the crime was committed by a Black person.”
He identified that the French media provides extra protection to problems with racism in opposition to Black individuals than previously, Lozes stated: “Very few of the journalists in the most popular newspaper, Le Monde, or any television channel, are Black. That’s why I say to the media that it’s great to cover racism, but you have to look at yourself and do what you want other people to do.”
Government denial
Noting that the most important downside in France is ignoring racist and discriminatory practices in opposition to Black individuals, Lozes stated: “It is important for France to accept that there is discrimination in the country and fight against this discrimination. But the government does not accept that there are discrimination problems that harm almost all Black people.”
Lamenting that he was additionally discriminated in opposition to all through his profession, Lozes stated: “I laugh at this now. But when I went to my workplace for the first time in a suit, no one thought I was the boss because they are not used to seeing Black people in managerial positions.”
Lozes said he left his place as president of CRAN in 2011 to develop into a candidate within the presidential election in France, and that an investigation was launched in opposition to him in December the identical yr.
“Transparency is clearly one of the values that we have to accept. If you’re in a public position, you have to accept that there may be an investigation. No one is above the law, and no one can break the law, but the way this investigation was conducted was unfair,” he stated.
“If I wasn’t Black, the investigation would have been shorter, but it took too long. Fortunately, I was acquitted. I expected the outcome of the investigation to be reported, but the media was more interested in me being investigated rather than acquitted,” he added.
Source: www.dailysabah.com