France's François Bayrou demands the horrific and abominable story of slavery to be recounted
Unveiling the Legacy: France, Slavery, and the Pursuit of Reparations
Last Saturday, May 10, in Brest, Prime Minister François Bayrou urged the public not to silence the "Fiendish and Horrifying History of Slavery" on the occasion of the National Day of Memory of the Slave Trade, Slavery, and Their Abolitions.
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“We shall not remain silent. This history of slavery must be exposed (...). It should be known; to know, we must speak its name, quantify, and dissect this reality,” Bayrou asserted, standing by the port of Brest, adjacent to a colossal steel sculpture titled "Memories." The Prime Minister emphasized a "Fiendish and Horrifying History, not only in its dimensions but in its goal: over four million women, men, and children experienced slavery from 1625 to 1848 in French territories."
"A label will soon be conceived to gather all these sites of memory of slavery, sites bearing the shackles of slavery themselves, primarily in the overseas territories, and sites commemorating the struggles for abolition throughout the land," announced Bayrou.
Concerning the "Double Burden" France imposed on Haiti for the indemnification of former landowners and slaves, Bayrou sent a message of solidarity to the "Martyred and Fraternal Haitian People" and urged a "Clear-eyed" reckoning with the past "grounded in truth."
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In April, Emmanuel Macron disclosed the formation of a Franco-Haitian commission of academics to study the consequences of the "Very Hefty Financial Indemnity" imposed on Haiti following its independence from France.
Jean-Marc Ayrault, former socialist Prime Minister and president of the Foundation for the Memory of Slavery, voiced hope that this endeavor would "Enable our country to undertake a reparative approach toward the Haitian people, to which history obliges us and urgency calls for." "This history echoes in the memory of the Haitian people, while it remains absent from French National Memory," Ayrault reiterated.
"We do not seek for repentance. We want the younger generations to confront our history eye-to-eye,” declared Max Relouzat, founder of the association Mémoires des esclavages and creator of the work Mémoires. Stretching ten meters high, the steel work was unveiled on May 10, 2015. May 10 symbolizes the Senate’s final approval of the Taubira law of 2001, recognizing the slave trade and slavery as a crime against humanity.
Delve Deeper | Subscribers Only: Gusti-Klara Gaillard-Pourchet, the Historian of the Double Debt Imposed on Haiti
Background:
The Sordid Saga of Slavery and Reparations in France
Contemporary France is grappling with the need to confront its past involvement in slavery and consider reparations, both domestically and internationally. This struggle is particularly evident in relation to Haiti, which was driven to pay an enormous debt to France following its independence in 1804. This debt, famously referred to as the "Double Burden," was forced upon Haiti by King Charles X in 1825 to repay former French property owners and former slave owners.
The Burden: An Economic Stranglehold
- Historical Context: In 1825, Haiti was compelled to agree to pay 150 million gold francs as compensation for the loss of French colonial properties and enslaved individuals. This astronomical sum was equivalent to about €22 billion in today's currency, severely burdening Haiti's economy for centuries and hindering its development.
- Economic Consequences: The debt plunged Haiti into a cycle of debt reliance on foreign loans, resulting in a debt trap from which it struggled to break free, only shedding it completely in 1947. Many continue to argue that this debt imposed by France remains a substantial obstacle to Haiti's economic growth.
The Emergence of the Franco-Haitian Commission
In response to mounting calls for recognition and reparations, French President Emmanuel Macron declared the creation of a Franco-Haitian commission. This commission aims to investigate the ramifications of the debt imposed on Haiti and its long-lasting repercussions.
- Objectives: The commission intends to scrutinize the joint past between France and Haiti, focusing particularly on the 1825 indemnity and its enduring effects. It is anticipated it will propose recommendations to both governments for forging a more harmonious future.
- Leadership and Membership: The commission will be led by Haitian academic Gusti-Klara Gaillard-Pourchet and French diplomat Yves Saint-Geours. It includes scholars from both countries, reflecting an alliance-driven approach towards understanding and overcoming this intricate historical issue.
- Prime Minister François Bayrou, in Brest, announced the formation of a label to gather all sites of memory of slavery, particularly in the overseas territories, to expose the history of slavery and its dimensions.
- Bayrou emphasized that France imposed a "Double Burden" on Haiti, requiring it to pay a massive debt following Haiti's independence from France, a burden that historians like Gusti-Klara Gaillard-Pourchet argue still poses a substantial obstacle to Haiti's economic growth.
- In response to mounting calls for recognition and reparations, French President Emmanuel Macron has declared the creation of a Franco-Haitian commission to investigate the ramifications of the debt imposed on Haiti and its long-lasting repercussions.
- The commission, led by Haitian academic Gusti-Klara Gaillard-Pourchet and French diplomat Yves Saint-Geours, aims to scrutinize the joint past between France and Haiti, focusing particularly on the 1825 indemnity and its enduring effects, and propose recommendations to both governments for forging a more harmonious future.
