Conférence théâtralisée | Semaine de lutte contre les discriminations

As part of Anti-Discrimination Week, join us for a theatrical conference "Questions de ”races” " by Gérard Noiriel and Martine Derrier.

This theatrical conference, staged with short skits, puppets, songs, and video illustrations, addresses racism, antisemitism, and identity assignments.

Starting from the first major law repressing racism (voted in in 1972), the speakers provide historical insight, tracing the genesis of the word “race” from the foundational moment of the Spanish colonisation of Mexico to the 19th century when stereotypes about Africans were fabricated and antisemitism developed, which the Nazis used to exterminate the Jews of Europe.

The 1972 law, justified by the desire to prevent the return of such barbarity, has not prevented the persistence of discrimination targeting minorities.

The conference continues with a reflection on recent changes in the definitions and political uses of the terms "racism" and "antisemitism"; changes illustrated by controversies surrounding wokism, the role of continuous news channels, and social networks in the process of identity assignment.