NOIR IN PLACE Black Politics, Racialized Gender, and Space in Contemporary France

With particular emphasis on gendered socialization in the context of racial minorities and the globalization of Blackness/anti-Blackness, this dissertation investigates the political spaces – both spatial and ideological – of Black-only leftist political organizations and collectives in France. Informed by the theoretical stance, which posits Blackness as a catalyst for instability and anti-Blackness as a foundational force shaping societal cohesion (James 2016; Warren 2018; Wilderson III 2020), my research examines how these organizations grapple with the dual challenge of asserting a Thick Blackness identity within the Black community while simultaneously seeking greater influence within the broader leftist movement. The research analyzes how the presence of Black-only political organizing disrupts, displaces, and reshapes the landscape of field struggles within the French left. This analysis will unfold across three primary dimensions:

1. The broader landscape of France's social movement arena: Here, I aim to elucidate how the overarching discourse on race and organizations centered around racial issues has influenced the political, media, and academic landscapes in France since 2005.

2. Intra-communal dynamics within Black leftist organizations: This entails exploring the internal battles within these organizations, which serve as crucial arenas for shaping collective political identities and navigating transitions from thin to Thick Blackness, and by doing so engaging a transformation from classe-en-soi (class-in-itself) to classe-pour-soi (class-for-itself) (Bourdieu 1985).

3. The deployment of Blackness and anti-Blackness in coalition-building efforts with predominantly white leftist organizations: This aspect of the research examines how these concepts manifest within coalitions and alliances, and their impact on power dynamics within the broader leftist movement.