France’s New Face of Racism: Louder, Bolder, Unapologetic

Personal anecdotes of racism in France and Cameroon

Since the election of a Black mayor in Saint-Denis—a suburb of Paris known for landmarks like the Stade de France and the Basilique Saint-Denis, where many French sovereigns are buried—openly racist attacks appear to have increased across France.

But is this really new?

What feels different today is not the existence of racism—it has always been there—but how open, normalized, and unapologetic it has become. This time, the shift seems amplified by the media. A recent survey by Ifop highlighted the troubling state of racism in the country, and many point to media ecosystems like CNews as amplifiers of this new tone. MORE