In light of the culture wars taking place in the United States, France is taking a slightly different approach, France has appointed Pap Ndiaye, a prominent historian of race, as Education Minister in France. Ndiaye is an expert of colonialism and race relations. Previously, he served as head of France's Museum of Immigration. Below please find background information on Ndiaye, articles from the media on his appointment and a recent talk he gave at the University of Chicago. This development is interesting given France's long history of imperialism and colonialism as well as fraught immigration history. It remains to be seen what the broader implications of this development will be in the long term.
Background and Training
https://www.sciencespo.fr/histoire/en/researcher/Pap%20Ndiaye/76202.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/arts/design/pap-ndiaye-palais-de-la-pont-doree-immigration-museum.html
Race relations expert is France's surprise new education minister (France 24, 5/20/22)
https://www.sciencespo.fr/histoire/en/researcher/Pap%20Ndiaye/76202.html
France: Black historian Pap Ndiaye appointed as education minister (The Guardian, 5/20/2022)
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/20/france-black-historian-pap-ndiaye-appointed-as-education-minister__;!!DZ3fjg!-VNOguHU2bDc_xOqSD7T_ctWbyKbWYOdOQBGlnPPK8xLGGR_nCz2WCw4n34YciYextxdvwfCR4d6_pNUxea3B2RCBvcDaQ$
New French Education minister radically attacked by far-right (Daily Sabah, 5/21/2022)
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/europe/new-french-education-minister-racially-attacked-by-far-right
Books and Ideas: Authors on Tour: Cultural Services, French Embassy in the United States (2016 U.S. Tour)
https://frenchculture.org/books-and-ideas/authors-on-tour/6766-pap-ndiaye
"The Minority Paradox: Blackness in France:" With Historian Pap Ndiaye," November 10.2016. (University of Chicago) https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://csrpcdev.uchica