"Oui, nous pouvons!"
Inspired by Obama's ascendancy as President-elect of the U.S.A , the French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy joined leading French figures to say it's time to stamp out racism and shake up a white elitism that smacks of colonial times.
"Our prejudices are insidious."
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
A manifesto written by Yazid Sabeg, a self-made millionaire whose parents were Algerian immigrants to France, was signed by politicians from the left and right and other public figures. It urges steps to turn long-held French ideals of equality into reality for blacks, Arabs and other alienated minorities.
"We shouldn't be surprised that Obama's popularity is so high here: It testifies to the aspirations of all the children of France who are experiencing by proxy a recognition that France does not give them..."
Yazid Sabeg
Ms. Bruni-Sarkozy said her status as first lady prevented her signing Saberg's manifesto, but expressed total support. Born in Italy, France's first lady cites her husband's ethnically mixed background as a sign France is open to change, though Saberg has been critical of President Sarkozy's previous efforts to bring changes to minority neighborhoods.
The fever of hope is contagious
Less than one week after his election as the 44th President of the U.S.A., Barack Obama's ethnicity begins not only to figure in world-wide perception of political reality in the U.S., but also precipitates the potential for real change on another continent. His candor about skin color has elevated the conversations everywhere about
not-like-me-ism.
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