Modern France, constructed from Africa's resources, became a stage for both the continuation of exploitation and the search for the legacies of the exploited.
With the 20th century, France began to lose its colonies, accelerating migration from these regions to France. Today, a significant portion of France's population consists of people from former French colonies.
Waves of African migrants rebuilt war-torn France after World War II, but this did not lead to their full acceptance in society.
Despite their achievements, African-origin French citizens, referred to as the "Other," have not received the respect they seek from French society, leading to the formation of suburbs.
The creation of these suburbs is partly due to the reluctance of the French to see the people they had exploited for centuries living beside them. They were not ready for a reckoning and effectively pushed African-origin citizens to the outskirts of their cities.
Etymologically, the word "suburb" comes from "ben," meaning authority, and "lieue," meaning place.
Historically, the term was used to refer to settlements outside the walls, expressing the concept of the "Other" for nearly a millennium.
French suburbs became centers of danger and fear, particularly in the 1970s, as millions whose lands had been exploited struggled to survive in the suburbs around Paris.
These areas, seen as residences of the "Other," became living representations of France's colonial history. The French still refer to these places as "crime hubs."
Since the 1990s, the French have feared potential uprisings in the suburbs and the rapid rise of Islam among the local population.
This pressure has led French governments to impose tighter controls in the suburbs, while the spread of Islam continues to grow at an alarming rate.
