This essay, on Josephine Baker, Éric Zemmour and universalism in French politics, was my Observer column this week. It was published on 5 December 2021, under the headline “How can a country that hails Josephine Baker take the racist Zemmour seriously?” “How does it feel to be a white man?” Simeon was not a white man. He was an African American who had left his homeland to escape the ferocious racism every African American faced and sought shelter in Paris. There, he […]

Categories: International, Politics • Tags: 1961 paris massacre, algeria, emmanuel macron, eric zemmour, france, identity politics, islam, josephine baker, muslims, racism, the stone face, universalism, william gardner smith