Questionnaire response
RESPONSES
H.
5 min read
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Where are you from ?
I am Chadian and French and I grew up in Dakar (Senegal), I currently live in Paris.
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In which country did you live?
In Senegal where I was born and where I lived for 17 years. Then, I moved to France for my studies, where I have been living for 8 years now.
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How old are you ?
26
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When did you realize that your skin color made you different than others?
I don't think I'm different from others because of my skin color. I have never felt that way. In fact I would say that I honestly don't "see" my color. I wasn't raised in a climate where people around me made me feel like I was different from others because of my color or anything. However I would say that because of my color, people will perceive or feel different things. So I think that it's not me who is different because of my color. But that my color can make some people feel a certain way or not.
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When did this take on a negative connotation?
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Have you experienced episodes of racism against yourself (this varies from micro-attacks to acts of violence)?
a. Yes
b. No
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If you answered "yes" to the previous question, what was the event that struck you the most? (or "the events")
To be honest, I haven't experienced many aggressions due to my color, but the one I remember the best goes back a long time! In Senegal, in Dakar when I was in first grade. The boy I was in love with, Benoît, humiliated me and made me feel very sad when he said in front of several people that
"nobody liked black people! That we liked the "latte" but especially not the blacks".
I had been very hurt, but not by these words, rather by the behavior of one of my friends; Louise, (color "latte") who was there when he had said all that but who did not react.This makes us understand the importance of reacting when one is a victim but also when one witnesses an act of discrimination.
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What would define your skin color the most among the following propositions: (for lack of adequate words please do not be offended by them)
a. 'Light skin'
b. 'Mixed'
c. 'Black'
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Have you ever witnessed racist acts around you?
a. Yes
b. No
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Have you ever heard 'inappropriate' comments from those around you?
a. Yes
b. No
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If so, it took place within which group (s) among the following? (Many answers are possible)
a. Your group of friends + acquaintances (so rather friends of your friends)
b. Your group of friends
c. Within your family
d. At school / at university
e. At work
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For each of the boxes checked in the previous question, please specify how you felt at that time? Did you react? Yes? No ? Why?
Yes, I must admit that I always react when I hear discriminating remarks. And whether it is people close to me, or people I don't know. And I do it in a tactful way.
It is important to react in a society that tends more and more to individualism. If one has been a victim of racism - to me - it is intolerable to let racist comments, remarks or gestures pass.
I have had some heated exchanges with people who felt that what they were saying was "no big deal". However, I understand that depending on the context it can be difficult to react.
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What is your relationship with your skin color?
First of all, I think I have a good relationship with myself. I have confidence in myself, and I feel "good about myself". From there, I can only have a positive relationship with my skin color.However, I also want to bring a nuance.
Today, the consumer society puts a lot of emphasis on "mixed" skins. With an ode to mixed race and curly hair. The media is full of girls with mixed skin. More and more icons/it-girls stick to this image. We see them in TV series, in ads etc...
It is therefore much easier for me, I think, than a girl with darker skin tone to feel comfortable with a skin that is increasingly "marketed". This is of course not in any way negative. I think it's progress and it will tend to spread to all skin tones.
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Has your relationship to your skin color always been the same? (Whether the answer is yes or no, please explore the evolution of this relationship over time)
I have, as explained before, never really had a "sense" of my color. That said, I think that as I grew up, as I learned about my history, my origins. My view of myself has become more accurate, more real. If as a little girl, I found straight hair very beautiful, today, having forged my identity, my tastes, my personality, having nourished all that, I still find straight hair beautiful, but I do not wish to have it in any case! For me, "the quest for oneself" is the key to accepting oneself.
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Do you agree that with age you gain a better understanding of what racism is?
Yes, as I briefly explained in my previous answer, with time, one acquires maturity, experience that is forged through encounters, relationships, research, reading....And logically, a better understanding of what racism is.
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Over time, do you feel more apt to be against racism or on the contrary less apt? (In both cases, please specify for what reason (s))
I am against racism, yes, and more so with time when we see the extent it really has. In general I am against all kinds of discrimination and I am more and more committed to fighting them.
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Do you have or would you like to have children?
I don't have any, but I would like to have some, yes!
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If so, is the notion of racism something that comes to your mind when you think about potentially bringing into the world / educating another human being and being responsible for it? Why ?
Yes, racism is present, and probably my children will face it. But when I see the work that my parents have done, I think I would be proud to educate my children, to give them good values and to give them all the energy that my parents have given me.
Before us, there are people who suffered, the slave trade, slavery, colonization .... Racism is a scourge, that we can and will fight. Today there has been a lot of progress, and it is important to understand that racism can not prevent someone from achieving his dreams, his ambitions, his desires. We must be optimistic.
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Where do you currently live?
In Paris, in the 9th district.
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Where would you see yourself living? When choosing this place, do you take into account the notion of racism? Yes? No ? Why ?
I don't know where I will live yet. To be honest, if I feel uncomfortable in a city because of my color, I'm clearly not going to live there. So that's an important concept. But when I think about living in city X or Y, I don't ask myself off the top of my head "are they racist?".
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Here you can express anything you feel about racism that was not necessarily covered in the previous questions. (Whatever you feel, whatever you want to share).
I think that racism is unfortunately still very present today, it takes different forms, is sometimes disguised, unfortunately we often manage to unmask it...However I think that with the new generations, this scourge is decreasing more and more, and I hope that one day it will disappear. We must continue to educate the population. Because it is only through education and knowledge that we can understand that racism is simply absurd.
I am very optimistic, when I see more and more mixed friendships, mixed relationships, men/women of color reaching positions of power.
As I said, I am very optimistic, and I would like to encourage people to be so. Racism does exist, but we can and will fight it! It would be unfortunate to fall into the trap of seeing it everywhere and making everything about it.