The black community in Barbès wants "change now"
07 November 2008 à 17h24
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For the election of the first black US president, a part of the African community from Paris decided to gather in the Goutte d’Or neighbourhood. Just a few hours before the results, everyone’s already celebrating the victory.
They aren’t Americans but Barack Obama is their president. Here, everybody supports the Democrat candidate who represents a “ historical chance of change ”. The African community of Paris chose to live this election in “Sabaara”, a little place in the cosmopolitan 18th arrondissement. No American flag on the wall, but an Obama tee-shirt just next to some pictures from Africa. Sabaara is known to welcome African musicians, associations and intellectuals, offering them its traditional dishes and its warm atmosphere.
While some people follow news on an age-old TV, others eat typical meals, speaking about music, politics and, sometimes, about what Barack will change in their lives. Yesterday night there was no stress around the bar: “ Obama will win, he must win”.
For Jean-Luc, it was necessary to share the election night with African people.
He’s married to an Afro-American woman from Texas, who has been in the US to vote, and is living the election from both sides of Atlantic. “French people don‘t really realize how important this election is for Americans and how strong their feeling of hope is.” With his “Obama” tee-shirt he can’t doubt that his candidate will win. “ McCain is talking about the country, Obama is talking about people ”, he explains. “ It’s the first time people feel so deeply concerned by a presidential election ”. Will Obama change the future of African people ? Jean-Luc isn’t sure, but believes that “ he’ll change the history of Afro-Americans ”.
1.00 am, the first results are arriving and the tension is growing when the TV broke down. Jean-Luc leaves to go to the “Obama Night” organized by French supporters committees in Porte Maillot. In Sabaara, without a television, Nzongo’s songs create the atmosphere and help people pass the time until the results. Others don’t wait for them and wonder already in a public debate how President Obama could support the politics and the economy of African countries.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/CIjGf7GVHCU&rel=0&fs=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/CIjGf7GVHCU&rel=0&fs=1</a>
Far from the crowd gathered in front of giant screens in official nights, forty people preferred to spend the moment together with a tiny transistor.
Reportage : Emilie Loubens et Marion Cocquet
Images de Bocar Alpha-Kane
They aren’t Americans but Barack Obama is their president. Here, everybody supports the Democrat candidate who represents a “ historical chance of change ”. The African community of Paris chose to live this election in “Sabaara”, a little place in the cosmopolitan 18th arrondissement. No American flag on the wall, but an Obama tee-shirt just next to some pictures from Africa. Sabaara is known to welcome African musicians, associations and intellectuals, offering them its traditional dishes and its warm atmosphere.
While some people follow news on an age-old TV, others eat typical meals, speaking about music, politics and, sometimes, about what Barack will change in their lives. Yesterday night there was no stress around the bar: “ Obama will win, he must win”.
For Jean-Luc, it was necessary to share the election night with African people.
He’s married to an Afro-American woman from Texas, who has been in the US to vote, and is living the election from both sides of Atlantic. “French people don‘t really realize how important this election is for Americans and how strong their feeling of hope is.” With his “Obama” tee-shirt he can’t doubt that his candidate will win. “ McCain is talking about the country, Obama is talking about people ”, he explains. “ It’s the first time people feel so deeply concerned by a presidential election ”. Will Obama change the future of African people ? Jean-Luc isn’t sure, but believes that “ he’ll change the history of Afro-Americans ”.
1.00 am, the first results are arriving and the tension is growing when the TV broke down. Jean-Luc leaves to go to the “Obama Night” organized by French supporters committees in Porte Maillot. In Sabaara, without a television, Nzongo’s songs create the atmosphere and help people pass the time until the results. Others don’t wait for them and wonder already in a public debate how President Obama could support the politics and the economy of African countries.
Far from the crowd gathered in front of giant screens in official nights, forty people preferred to spend the moment together with a tiny transistor.
Reportage : Emilie Loubens et Marion Cocquet
Images de Bocar Alpha-Kane
