Resurrecting Slavery: Racial Legacies and White Supremacy in France by Crystal Marie Fleming

Abstract

development of their careers and, most interestingly, particular characteristics and the influences that impacted their art. Falino also identifies the social and cultural phenomena related to poster mania of the time, such as the cabaret world and its performers, as well as the portrayal of women in fin-de-siècle posters. The essay provides an excellent context for the appreciation and understanding of the works on display. The true stars of this large-format book are the color reproductions of these forty-four posters. Most informative are the brief paragraphs alongside each image that place the work in context and explain the product or event advertised, the persons depicted, and the circumstances of the creation of the poster. These details motivate the reader to look closely at each image and to understand it in the context of the period. This book brings to life these advertisements and provides us with a newfound appreciation for their beauty and cultural importance. Texas Christian University Sharon L. Fairchild Fleming, Crystal Marie. Resurrecting Slavery: Racial Legacies and White Supremacy in France. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 2017. ISBN 978-1-4399-1409-0. Pp. 276. How can we better understand the history of slavery and the present-day inequalities in France without asking the hard question: Is white French society inherently racist? Resurrecting Slavery cleverly traces the ways in which the contradiction between France’s color-blind political narrative and its ongoing legacy of racial oppression impact the current political climate. A wide-ranging contribution to race identity and race relations, this book is a clarion call to rethink race from the perspective of sociology, history, race, and ethnicity and to consider the legacy of France’s colonial and slave past. It also enlivens our thinking and challenges our understanding of how we view France today, especially in light of ISIS-inspired terrorism of the past few years. Exploring this highly controversial topic from present-day inequalities to past oppression, the succinct seven chapters make for an exciting and thought-provoking read. The author’s fascinating observations drawn from over a hundred in-depth interviews and archival work by communitarian groups gives insight into the ongoing struggles faced by French Caribbean and black French activists, including the challenges they face to connect historical racism with the exclusion they face in the present. Clear and precise in its arguments, the book not only raises thorny questions about ethno-racial boundaries and reparations but also tackles the initiatives of various French officials to “blackwash” slavery. One particularly noteworthy chapter, “Racial Temporality in Action,” explores how commemoration event organizers and participants subvert norms of color-blindness in France and widen the debate on the ideology of white supremacy. Moreover, the statistics, graphs, tables, and photographs give the reader a better understanding of the troubling reality faced by many French people of color. The riveting conclusion turns some preconceived notions about 190 FRENCH REVIEW 91.4 Reviews 191 France and French society on their head and asserts new arguments to fight racism. Overall, the book offers much food for thought and the extensive bibliography and methodological references provide a wealth of information for further research in the field.Although some of the content may make the reader feel uncomfortable, the core of the study offers an invaluable opportunity to grapple with the injustices faced by black and brown people, a reality that unfortunately extends well beyond the borders of France. This book will certainly appeal to scholars as well as their students who need an entry point into the oftentimes overwhelming field of critical race theory but also to those who are passionate about the need for change and hope to inspire others to make a difference to systematic oppression from all walks of life. University of Toronto Catherine Gaughan Guiney, M. Martin. Literature, Pedagogy, and Curriculum in Secondary Education: Examples From France. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017. ISBN 978-3-31952138 . Pp. 305. How does one effectively teach literature today when students and parents and politicians demand that schools guarantee good jobs? Moreover, what can France teach America about Gen Ed reform? The teaching of literature in France has almost come full circle, moving from the idealist, aristocratic...