Oui, nous pouvons!

Image created by Shepard Fairey.

Angela Charlton at the Associated Press writes that President-Elect Barack Obama has inspired French political figures to address racism:

"Inspired by Barack Obama, the French first lady and other leading figures say it's high time for France to stamp out racism and shake up a white political and social elite that smacks of colonial times.

"A manifesto published Sunday — subtitled "Oui, nous pouvons!", the French translation of Obama's campaign slogan "Yes, we can!" — urges affirmative action-like policies and other steps to turn French ideals of equality into reality for millions of blacks, Arabs and other alienated minorities.

""Our prejudices are insidious," Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, a singer and wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy, said in an interview with le Journal du Dimanche newspaper, which published the manifesto. She said she hoped the "Obama effect" would reshape French society.

"Nations across Europe rejoiced over Obama's victory, seeing it as a triumph for American democracy and a world weary of President George W. Bush. But Obama's election also illustrated an uncomfortable truth: how far European countries with big minority populations have to go getting nonwhites into positions of power.

"Grass-roots groups in France and Britain are trying to turn Obama's election into electoral gains for minorities at home. Sunday's manifesto suggests France's elites are taking notice, too.

""The election of Barack Obama highlights via a cruel contrast the shortcomings of the French Republic and the distance that separates us from a country whose citizens knew how to go beyond the racial question and elect a man who happens to be black as president," the appeal said.

"What a lesson!" it went on. "We French ... should listen to it well."

"The manifesto was written by Yazid Sabeg, a French self-made millionaire whose parents were Algerian immigrants and signed by politicians from the left and right and other public figures.

"Obama is extremely popular in France, yet blacks and other minorities are nearly invisible in national or local politics here. The lower house of parliament has 555 members from the French mainland; just one is black.

"We shouldn't be surprised that Obama's popularity is so high here: It testifies to the aspirations of all the children of France who are experiencing by proxy a recognition that France does not give them," the manifesto reads. "It also betrays the bad faith of those who welcome the victory of modernity outside our borders, in order to tolerate the status quo here." " The manifesto calls for affirmative action policies like those the United States used years ago to encourage greater minority representation in the workplace and in universities.

"Sarkozy has suggested affirmative action for France, but later backed away from the idea since it goes against France's ideals of egalitarianism, which dictate that the country not classify its citizens according to race. This idea that everyone is just "French" means there are no census or other national figures calculating how big the country's minority groups are.

"The manifesto urges term limits to make way for more minority candidates and presses the government to improve schools in working-class neighborhoods. That appears to be a reference to housing projects heavily populated by nonwhite immigrants and their families, areas that erupted in riots in 2005 by disenfranchised youth, many of them Arab and black children of immigrants.

"Critics say the tough-talking Sarkozy fanned discrimination ahead of the riots. Manifesto author Sabeg slammed efforts under Sarkozy to help minority neighborhoods as "an empty shell."

"Bruni-Sarkozy said she couldn't sign the appeal because of her status as first lady but that she fully supported it. She is quoted in le Journal du Dimanche as calling Obama's election "an immense joy."

The Italian-born first lady exhibited optimism in her adopted land, saying Sarkozy's ethnically mixed background is a sign that France is open to change.

"My husband is not Obama. But the French voted for the son of a Hungarian immigrant, whose father has an accent, whose mother is of Jewish origin. (Sarkozy) has always considered himself as a bit of a Frenchman from elsewhere," Bruni-Sarkozy is quoted as saying.

"She also took a dig at the prime minister of her native Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, for saying last week that Obama is "tanned." The often impolitic and suntanned Berlusconi defended it as a compliment, but Bruni-Sarkozy saw the situation differently.

"I'm very glad to have become French," she said."

Comments

[amber]

I like that Carla-B. Beautiful and smart! ;)

It is America's archetype to lead in things like this.I believe it is our destiny. It is the reason America was ever created, in fact. But everything has a ebb and flow. America has always been made up of good people. Americans "should finally be proud to be an American", because we should always remember that there is a hell of a lot more to America, than who is sitting in the Oval Office at any one time. We are a whole mass of people! A mass of people who as a society make it a general way of life to work for the common good, and who generously give where it is needed, all over the world... Isn't that something to be proud of? Can't we know we have things to fix, AND be proud at the same time? *sigh*

How can people lose sigh of that? Yes, there have been some trip-ups. But still, all along, we have also done MUCH GOOD in the world. If that were not true of our primal nature as Americans, we could not have produced a man like Obama, let alone sent him to the Hot Seat.

I was watching Craig Ferguson of The Late Late Show, the other night... he is from the UK, but is now a new American Citizen. He said in his show, how good he has always known America to be, and how growing up he always understood that. That is why he wanted to become an American. But, he said, he has had a hard time over the fourteen years he has been here, of sometimes convincing some Americans of that fact...

I find that very interesting. And sad. I can't help that it upsets me.

...Having said that, I can't tell you how happy it makes me that we are all alive to witness such a time! I can't tell you how happy it makes me that this event is at all forcing others to look at changes they also need to make. I can't tell you how happy it makes me that people are willing again to see us for who we ARE. This world looks bright for my children.

:)

[robin bird]

Hi Tara, here i am! yeah!! i decided to join rachel at work today for her 8 hour shift so i could have a little on-line time to visit everyone without the pressure of connection issues.
and while i was reading your most recent post and commenting you were at my blog and commenting. i don't know why that this is a thrill to me, when a friend is at my house while i am at theirs, but it is :)
i have been reading through a few of your most recent posts and the comments that accompany them and marveling about the fact that you are such an influential power of goodness in the internet community. i see it over and over how you lead by example. issues of social justice, political truth telling and activism all are a part of your everyday posting. and then there is your personality that shines through everything. I don't go and visit a lot of news sites or editorial blogs. I know what brings out the best in me and you have it hands down. you are the embodiment of old feminist adage 'the personal is the political'. you aim at living up to your own values. you are a hard working trendsetter of tolerance and peace!
much of the world seems to be in the mood for change and obama seems to have become a beacon for positive change..let's hope and work hard to assure that his good intentions do not remain just that.... good intentions. the election is a beginning and yet hope dies fast if it is not fanned by decisive action. i love your ideas for holiday gifts it is an action that can help keep the embers hope glowing red hot.
XOX

[Laura]

I'm so deeply, deeply happy about this. I never let myself believe it would happen. It happened.

[Chris]

Isn't this amazing!

[elizabeth]

great image! I like to be reminded of what a fabulous choice we made. :)

[karen cole]

Beautiful poster. Great post.

[tangobaby]

Love what Christina said: Trendsetters of tolerance and peace! That would be a wonderful export for a change... and it will take time to sink in, but if we've gotten this far there's no reason why we can't continue to move forward in such a positive direction.

[My Mélange]

Great article and interview with Obama in Rolling Stone mag this month. Def worth the read. Shows a side of him with a sense of humor.

I also know that Moveon.org was giving away free bumper stickers that say yes we did- or something to that effect :)

It was quiet an embarrassing, ignorant comment that Berlusconi made. He needs to get educated!

[Christina]

I am so happy to hear that this goodness we are experiencing is over flowing into other countries. I really hope that we become trend setters of tolerance and peace. This is beautiful! : )

[JanePoet ~ JP/deb]

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy's words remind us that we are all citizens of the world and the marginalization of those whose skin colour is darker or whose continental heritage is beyond the borders of North America or Europe, is unacceptable.

I am so encouraged that the US election is opening the discussion on racism across the globe. Peace, JP/deb

[Colette]

And I read today that PE Obama wants U.S. trials for the Guatanamo prisoners.
Oui, nous pouvons!

[Brenda Kula]

What gladdens my heart, Tara, was seeing on the national newscast last evening Americans living all over the world, tears in their eyes, saying they finally feel proud to be American. I feel the same way. Hopefully we have taken a "liberal" (double entendre) step in the proper direction. May the far right religious melt into the shadows and keep their damned mouths shut for once. Ignorance may finally take a back seat to the inevitable.
Brenda