A Perspective: Being A Black Woman In Europe

"You know it's only going to be less than ten years since we've had the first black journalist [Harry Roselmack] on mainstream television."

In Part 3 of this four-part post, Marie retrospectively speaks on her experiences as a black woman in Europe, and her opinion on the state of social-integration amongst black communities in France.

And so the conversation continues …

Black People in Europe: Her Experience.

 

---

Yaaya:

You are a French-native. Where is your family from originally?

Marie-M J:

Martinique, it's a French island, so we are French-Caribbean. My parents migrated to France in the 1940's, and since then they've lived there [France]. I was born in Paris, France.

Yaaya:

What was it like growing up in France as a black woman?

Marie-M J:

It was hard because … (Sighs) Parts of France was and still can be racist. So I was having to fight people's prejudices all the time because of stupid, ignorant things that was said or done. [For example,] the bus stop: you've been queuing there and somebody cuts the queue in front of you. You speak up to tell them “excuse me, I was here first”, and then they tell you “F**king N***er, what [are] you doing?”

Yaaya:

Do you feel there has been any progression in the way black people are treated in France?

Marie-M J:

I don't know if I would say things are better. Now it's just a bit more hidden.

Yaaya:

In what way is it hidden? Do you mean people aren't overtly using the N-word?

Marie-M J:

No, no … that word is still used. It's more like you're not going to hear in the media any news about racial [injustices].

Yaaya:

Hmm …

Marie-M J:

You know it's only going to be less than ten years since we've had the first black journalist, Harry Roselmack, on mainstream television. You never really saw a black person on [French] television stations unless he was a clown. They try now to have more ethnic minorities on TV, but there are not enough. Not enough at all.

When I came to London almost twenty years ago, I went to open a bank account and I saw a black manager. I was so shocked, because you would never ever see that in France. Never … a black person being a manager of a bank?! Never, no way! That's not possible. I would say the majority of the black people in France are working for the government: for France telecommunications, as the police on estates, or as cleaners. In the private sector, you won't find lots of black people there. There is not much.

When I was younger, my parents would say to me “you need to make sure you have a wage every month, so you need to have a secure job.” My mum wanted me to work with her at France Telecoms. But I told her “no, that's not me. Mum, I can't … that's not me.”

Yaaya:

What about when you were a younger girl, when you're going to school? Were those prejudiced attitudes also prevalent there as well?

Marie-M J:

Not really. I grew up in Bondy, one of the suburbs in Paris. This is where a lot of the black people lived. So I saw people who 'looked' like me. My best-friend was also from Bondy, she still lives there. So I wasn't exposed to prejudiced attitudes then because I was surrounded by a large African and Caribbean community.

Yaaya:

Like you said, France has a mixture of different African and Caribbean communities. What is your opinion on social integration in France between the African communities and the Caribbean communities?

Marie-M J:

In France you have many of the communities belonging to African countries once colonised by France. Like Senegal, Zaire or Congo, and Cameroon etcetera. But there was that underlying tension between the French-African and French-Caribbean communities. Less so now, but sometimes the tension is still there.

Yaaya:

Why do think it was like this?

Marie-M J:

I think for the generation before mine that were French-Caribbean, if you told them they were black and African, they might have responded “no way, I am not” because for them they were completely French. They were from Martinique or Guadeloupe or Guyana, or any one of the other French-Caribbean countries. That stirred problems about superiority and inferiority. It's a shame, because I think it's important to recognise where you really come from and acknowledge where your ancestors came from. I mean, we were all brought out to the Caribbean.

I can't speak for everyone, but I know that because I am black I am also African. There's no doubt there for me. Now, the real open question is “where do I come from [in Africa]?” Everyone says I have got features of a Cameroonian. But I honestly don't know, I would like to know though: I am trying to find it out because I don't know anything about my African heritage.

Yaaya:

How does that make you feel? Do you feel like a part of your identity is missing?

Marie-M J:

Yes, there is a big gap because I would like to know where I come from. The culture of where I come from. The history of where I come from. I don't really know anything about my mum's side because she lost her parents when she was seven years old. For my dad, his father wasn't his [biological] parent. Also , my granddad passed away. He was a bricklayer and some bricks fell on him, and there weren't good medical facilities back then so he developed gangrene and died. So I don't really know anything about my father's side either.

Even as I tell you that I am Caribbean. I feel more French than Caribbean because I've lived in France for twenty-three years. I've never really lived in Martinique, the longest I had stayed there was two months for holidays. So regarding knowing about my Caribbean or African culture etcetera … I honestly don't know [much].

The other reason why filling this void or gap in my identity is important is because they say sickle-cell is genetic, and sickle-cell trait is more prevalent with people from [sub-Saharan] Africa.

Yaaya:

What perceptions do you think are held of black people in France?

Marie-M J:

There is a lot of stereotyping. “We are love hip hop music, we love to party, we are always late and we are lazy”. In France, when you are looking for a job, they ask you to put a picture of yourself on your CV. If they think you are from Northern Africa, you know Morocco or Tunisia, then [your CV goes] straight into the bin. If you are black, then some may go in the bin and some they may keep.

About black women, the stereotype is that we are loud. But I think people confuse being outspoken and voicing what you think with being loud. However, compared to the black men, we are considered more docile.

Yaaya:

Can you draw on any obvious or subtle social differences between living in England and living in France as a black woman?

Marie-M J:

For me, I find that living in England as a black woman is better. Easier. I won't say this is the same [opinion] for all black women emigrating from France to England, but for me I find there are more opportunities for education and jobs. Compared to France, I find that here in England people care less about my gender and race. Again, this is my personal experience, I wouldn't generalise this for all black women.

Yaaya:

What does it mean to you to be a black woman in European society?

Marie-M J:

Wow. How do I answer that? (Pauses to think) I'd say in France, it's often a struggle to be a black woman because you can't just be good or great. You need to be the best at everything because you prepare yourself to believe that there is only one spot available for a black woman. When I was younger, I was modelling. Every single agency I'd seen had at most three black girls in their books. The dark-skinned one, the one that was my colour, and the light-skinned one. And that was it. So if you went to an agency and you saw three black girls already in their books, then there was no point in staying because you weren't going to be able to have a place.

However, I think it's important to be yourself and not compromise who you are in this process of trying to the best. I don't apologise for being myself, for speaking up to voice my opinion especially when injustice is happening.

Look out for the final post of Yaaya’s conversation with Marie, where we understand her interpretation of social invisibility, the importance of mentoring, and her achievements and future ambitions.

Do you also identify with any of Marie’s experiences living as a black person in Europe? Leave your comments below to join the conversation, we’d love to hear your story too.

Image Source | These images do not belong to Yaaya. Images courtesy of Marie-Maimoona Jeannot (Light Of Marie Jewels)