France confronts slavery, a demon of its past (Washington Post)

[inanna]

May 28 at 3:34 PM

PARIS — The French capital is a city awash with memorials and monuments, testaments to the triumphs and tragedies of a nation’s past.

These storied sites reflect France’s appreciation of its history, but one chapter has always been missing: any significant mention of the country’s notorious involvement in the slave trade.

That will soon change. President François Hollande announced this month the establishment of a major foundation to create a slavery memorial and museum in Paris.

“I wish to give to France an institution it still lacks, a foundation for the memory of the slave trade, slavery and its abolition,” he told reporters.

cont'd...

Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/france-confronts-slavery-a-demon-of-its-past/2016/05/28/0bf61b3e-2128-11e6-b944-52f7b1793dae_story.html

[elljay]

1. Let's talk about Haiti

You remember, don't you France, that you once had a slave colony called Haiti? That they fought for and earned their independence before slaves were freed in the U.S? That afterwards you CHARGED Haiti a massive amount of money as an "independence debt" to "compensate" you for all those slaves and lost land? That his debt completely impoverished Haiti and is a major reason for its abject poverty today? You're gonna mention that, right, maybe return that money?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_debt_of_Haiti