Erasing Race in France: Social Consequences of Political Idealism: Social Consequences of Political Idealism

This chapter explores the political history of the term race from 1950 to the present, showcasing how it was born of a post-war and postcolonial era. Additionally, this chapter traces the historical debates surrounding the term race and its inclusion in French political and legislative documents. The chapter aims at highlighting how the erasure of race from political and juridical spheres will not resolve the racial inequalities that are socially prevalent in France. Racial inequalities that largely stem from the dominance of French universalist principles that place the national community above identity-based communities.