The Académie Française is a Paris-based council that considers itself the highest official authority on matters of the French language and publishes an authoritative French dictionary. Membership in the Académie Française is considered a great honor for French writers, academics, and politicians. When Césaire notes that a member of the Académie Française proudly and unambiguously espoused white supremacism, he is illustrating how completely racism infiltrated France’s institutions and culture during the colonial period.
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Académie Française Term Timeline in Discourse on Colonialism
The timeline below shows where the term Académie Française appears in Discourse on Colonialism. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Section 3
...be defeated. He quotes a philosopher, scientist, soldier, journalist, and even a member of the Académie Française , all of whom steadfastly proclaim that white people are inherently superior to non-Europeans.
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