Bonjour!
It’s me, Channel, host of La French Connect. I decided to do something different with this episode and discuss a bit about my experience as a Black expat in Paris. This could be the beginning of an ongoing series of me discussing more about myself, if that’s what you want. Take a listen and let me know what you think!
By now, we’ve all seen the Oprah interview of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in which they discussed the treatment that they received from the royal family. The explosive interview sparked huge debates across social media, including in France. In fact, the debate surrounding the interview, and specifically the disbelief by some of Meghan’s concerns of possible racism, resulted in a leading Paris-based Facebook group of thousands of English Speaking Moms to remove members—censoring the concerns of Black and Brown moms. The group’s fallout exposed how difficult parenting in an international context can be, especially when “people of color” are frequently divided amongst themselves due to the differences in the cultural experiences that they have had. In this episode, I interview two of the group’s members Joelle, and Abril.
In this episode, I interview Lyneka Little, a former Parisian Expat/Immigrant, and creator of the Apres Josephine platform for Blacks and People of Color who moved to France to have a space to discuss their experiences. We discussed the motivation behind the creation of Apres Josephine, aptly named in reference to the iconic Josephine Baker, the world’s first Black superstar, who sought “refuge” from America in Paris in the 1930s.
In discussing her creation, Lyneka and I dove deep into the surreal experience of “American Privilege” that Black Americans experience abroad, and how it feels crazy to be treated better than our fellow African brothers and sisters, simply because we are American. If you ever wanted to know what it’s like to be a Black American expat in Paris, this episode is for YOU!
This episode features Nelly Criquet, Girl Boss and owner of law firms in Paris and Guadeloupe. We discuss the differences between being a Black attorney in France and the U.S., from law school to practice. We also discussed if Black women attorneys and other successful Black women in France have a hard time finding love.
In this episode, I’m joined by British-Jamaican actor and director Adjani Salmon, of the British Youtube web-series classic, turned show on the BBC network, “Dreaming Whilst Black.” We discuss everything from his intentional casting of dark-skinned women as love interests in his hit show; to some of the Black-American criticism of the British Actor takeover of the American film industry. And of course, we talked about what it’s like to be Black in the U. K.!
In La French Connect's first episode, I interview Claude Guillaumaud-Pujol, A French professor of American studies, author, and activist supporting MOVE members and Mumia Abu-Jamal. Mumia Abu-Jamal is an American political prisoner currently incarcerated for life after being convicted of killing a Philadelphia police officer. The MOVE Organization is a family of Black revolutionaries who follow the guideline principles of John Africa. Their beliefs include a natural law philosophy of life that is governed by God and not human-made laws. Claude explains her support for Mumia and the support that he receives from the French and British governments, such as being awarded honorary French citizenship.