Martinique, a French territory with a history marked by the suffering of the past, is at the center of public debates and poignant commemorations. This focus on the painful past has its roots in several underlying causes. On the one hand, a minority feels a deep, almost instinctive emotional connection to the suffering endured by their ancestors. On the other hand, some seek to conceal their current failures by taking refuge in the past. Furthermore, the arrogance of some Europeans and the persistence of discriminatory practices help keep the weight of the past alive. However, it is crucial to look toward the future and resolutely tackle current challenges, such as wage inequalities and persistent discrimination. It is time to devote our efforts to breaking down today’s barriers—the ones we can actually address. «Manmay, an nou gadé douvan!» You can find Maurice Laouchez’s regular column here.
HELLO, EVERYONE!’
Martinique is undoubtedly the French territory where the suffering of the past features most prominently in public debate and anniversary commemorations.
There are several possible reasons for this insistence.
The first stems, in a minority of people, from a genuine—and perhaps genetic—emotional response to the suffering endured by their ancestors. No one has the right to question this sensitivity.
The second reason stems from the failures of a number of people, of all races, who seek to hide their inability to meet today’s challenges by constantly referring to the past.
Smoke and mirrors will remain an easy way to deceive people for a long time to come.
The third reason stems from the arrogance of a number of Europeans who behave as if they were in a conquered country, convinced that the chain of command—which is overwhelmingly held by other Europeans—will always work in their favor.
But the most important reason is undoubtedly the last one.
It is linked to the continued existence, today, of a number of practices that are rarely discussed, for fear of sparking serious controversy.
How can we deny that wages in the private sector are all too often scandalously low, even as shareholders’ profits are more than comfortable? Employees at the same company—which has been perfectly profitable for 30 years—sometimes earn barely the minimum wage.
Such an anomaly brings us back to inevitably to a certain past.
How can one deny that the Indian community is still subject to ostracism—rarely denounced publicly—on the part of certain Black people, an ostracism linked to the pre-slavery past?
After all, how can we deny that there are a number of families in the Béké community where marriage to a Black man or woman would be seen as a fall from grace, and who carefully ensure that their children have as little contact as possible with Black children?
Such practices also hark back to a certain past, and are not found with such intensity in any other overseas territory.
If we want to devote a little less time and energy to dwelling on suffering While the past is beyond our control, it is urgent that we resolutely tackle today’s obstacles, over which we have considerable influence.
MANMAY, LET'S GO!
Maurice Laouchez
