France is starting to own its role in the slave trade. Now it needs to repair its Caribbean legacy | Marie-Annick Gournet

Article excerpt

The notorious Code Noir is gone. But people in Guadeloupe and Martinique continue to live with the consequences “Vive la République, et vive la France.” Emmanuel Macron closed his 21 May speech marking the 25th anniversary of the passing of the Taubira law, which recognised slavery as a crime against humanity, with the customary patriotic slogan. As applause rippled around the reception room of the Elysée Palace, whose construction was financed by a 18th-century slave-owning magnate, Leïla Brédent, a black soprano from Guadeloupe, launched into a stirring rendition of La Marseillaise. Continue reading...