It’s easy to exceptionalize a few black people—-especially those with privilege like celebrities, artists, and even academics. The challenge for non-Black folks comes when a LOT of us arrive.
“…in Paris, it was difficult to deny the extent to which the city has embraced African Americans and our culture…I couldn’t help but acknowledge that in Paris my race, remarkably, appears unremarkable.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/10/us/paris-black-americans.html
#BlackTwitter #BlackAndWhite #BlackMastodon #BlackFedi #race
Didn't read the NYT piece, but it's true. I'm reminded of the film "2 Days in New York", which was funded by Paris firm and shot in Europe, about an interracial couple who have some family from Paris visit them in New York. The focus is on the cultural differences between Americans and Parisians. If the film was made in Hollywood, it would have been a much different and racially biased film.
Then there's "Midnight in Paris", a film about Paris produced by a New Yorker. That film has extreme racial bias. Josephine Baker is shown in the film, but she has no lines all!
Also, back in the 20's Josephine Baker moved to Paris to get away from the racism in the US, which turned out to be a great career move. I'm sure if she would have stayed in the US her career would have been crushed -- she would have never been as popular as she was. The Parisians loved her and she gained worldwide fame.
