The morning AFTER
French elections: My first political piece? Not sure, yet a needed one! Especially today.
👋 Hello, dear creative. How are you doing today?
The elephant in the room…
I woke up this morning at 6 a.m. I walked to my window and saw a Black woman walking down the street with a scarf on her head. I thought to myself, may she be protected, a wish for a perfect stranger. Yes, I do that sometimes.
To explain the context, yesterday at 8 p.m., the far-right emerged first in the anticipated elections presented to the French people by President Macron. A few weeks ago, the day after he dissolved the assembly, he even used a sci-fi reference to the movie calling it ‘‘The Day After’’, an awakening day indeed.
I wrote a piece I wanted to post just after voting yesterday, but it felt irrelevant today. There are no words to describe the atmosphere other than "the day after." I spent the evening saying "Que sera sera," still hoping for some changed statistics, but the people have spoken, and the political tensions are brutally visible.
The unforgettable image
I am sitting there with my family. We, as a family, are French from somewhere else. We know what it means to be seen as not French enough. Observing the news felt heavy, shocking, like an unstoppable confirmation, and an awakening to "que sera sera"—whatever will be, will be. As a Christian, I thought God certainly knew why these events were happening. My mother reassured me, speaking with calm and peace. Amid a family chat, she even shared an interesting perspective about an unforgettable image. She said everything is an illusion, everything you see. The negativity, the overwhelming chaos you can witness, the threat of the far-right, the cacophony, and the real faces revealed of the opposing camp... thinking, what can I do? How will we carry on? Will they sanction someone because of their origin, color, or religion... what now?
She spoke to me as both a mother and a person of faith, embodying a masterclass in what the law of attraction and faith demands: authority. She emphasized the importance of maintaining unwavering faith and peaceful knowing or authority over the things you want.
She said: “All this is an illusion. It is like a bubble. Imagine a needle bursting through the illusion. Pouf! You see things clearly, and now you can never lose hope.”
No matter the circumstances, you choose your state of mind, and with authority, you establish yourself in it: "I can, I will, and nothing is impossible.
The image she used revealed itself as an eye-opening one. I was, in appearance, coping with the overall ambience the election brought upon us. Yet, I had to confess it had reached an overload of negativity, and I was losing sight of hope. Her words and that specific image instantly became a meditation practice (or envisioning) and a reminder of what it takes to break free.
A rebrand that shakes worlds
As she was talking, I thought the proof also lies in the far-right party. With fierce determination and patient remodelling, they made it possible, shaking the foundations of what it means to be a part of the French ideal today. An ideal which had evolved from dark days to a humanist form: liberty, equality, fraternity.
Today, the left and right are in desperate mode, blocking their arrival from all possible angles. They are not able to block the wave but rather lessen its effects. Their lack of responsibility on both sides, due to personal vendettas, has allowed the formerly audacious President Macron to prepare a lane for the far-right party. He is the one who stated, "I will always be against this party," but slowly and surely, he paved the way to install them at the center of Matignon.
The needle bursting the illusion is a powerful image, and it is not only in the light of the aftermath. It is like taking the red pill*. When you understand the tactics of the matrix, you are equipped to burst that illusion daily and build upon that liberating effort.
🎯*In the first episode of the film trilogy The Matrix, the lead character Neo was given the option of taking a red pill, which would enable him to understand what was occurring outside the illusion created by the Matrix, or a blue pill, which would allow him to return to experiencing only that illusion.
Ever since the French ideal turned upside down two weeks ago, I have been thinking about the youth. Those young boys and girls who will evolve in this new atmosphere, which infuses society and people's minds with constant division and paranoia. I knew the strategy was well-planned to bring forth the worst in some people. Small groups become masses not because there is truth in their ideology but because noise attracts noise. The crowd attracts the crowd. A divided France to this extent is historical, and it jeopardizes the fundamentals of togetherness. There cannot be togetherness when three forces claim there is no way other than theirs, and no idea better than theirs today.
One important magnifier in this political scene is the media
They appear collectively guilty in many ways for the divisions we experience today, despite some doing their best to counteract a biased information machine. While observing journalists and major media outlets report the news and organize chaotic conversations, I thought about the children who would be in school tomorrow. I envisioned parents and families engaging in society and making eye contact with colleagues with a pressing discomfort. What about the non-profits and organizations whose DNA includes a multicultural vision and mission? And our dear writers, artists, and visionaries who find themselves at a crossroads, with reality challenging their values like never before.
What do you say to a young boy who comes back home and says, "At school, a classmate told me to go back home." "You are home." "No, they said back to where I came from." "Your mother's womb?" "No, Africa."
Funny enough, a young man in high school once said that to me. I was so young, but I recall it while writing this. I don’t remember what I replied, but I certainly didn't waste my energy on their ignorance. Years later, he tried to be my friend. How funny. It never happened.
The far-right has mastered rebranding to the extent that they no longer wish to be considered far-right. They now claim to be the right-wing nationalists. To emphasize this new positioning, they have even formed alliances with the historical right, facilitated by the leading man or actor who staged his office in protest of eviction from the right party. I think schoolyard games for adults are becoming delirious.
Children of all colors of the rainbow must find it quite comical and absurd. What an example they display to the youth, as a political collective. Actually, for decades and more, we have witnessed political theater. I am sure in school classes, there must have been a teacher pointing out the schemes and encouraging children to act maturely, better than their elders. They do act with more wisdom than we do.
The accumulation of such scenes reveals the increasing ridicule of political tactics.
Challenging narratives
It's now two hours since the black woman walked down the streets. I witnessed the city waking up. The sound of activity accelerating showcases France waking up early to work. France is diverse today and all are a ‘‘force vive’’ or vibrant forces of the country.
While I watched the cars stop for a school bus, I thought about one of the far-right's obsessions: giving jobs and high-level decision-making roles exclusively to French nationals. The underlying truth of that desire is to classify who is really French, and who deserves to be French. I laughed at that moment and wondered into my own story. I have worked in French institutions, and if the far-right had been in power back then, I would never have been able to leave my mark in those places like I did... Not because I am not French, but because I am French and black. Places of high decision-making would have been even more distant from me... or is it another deeper layer of the illusion to burst? (My mom would add…)
The far-right party is reshaping who stands behind its doors. They seek individuals who not only resemble them physically but also think like them in every way. Being different will always be a problem within their ranks.
I am a Black woman, and I am French. When I vote, I do not vote alone. I carry voices, stories, hopes, and fears alongside each bulletin I place in that envelope. My story is intertwined with many others that have enabled me to have a voice in politics wherever I go. My creative journey cannot be fully understood without acknowledging my migration story, a narrative shared by us all as a collective.
We are not from where we think we are. Our ancestors have walked a long way to install us on that land.
Many people voted on Sunday, with many going the extra mile despite it being the holiday season. Despite the news of victory on one side, the good news is that many people probably voted after years of not engaging with politics, feeling resigned to the inefficiency of the political theatre. They did their duty, and they spoke out to mark their concerns and what they cared about. Regardless of the election results and what each person raised, many have stood up in the light of a brutal awakening to claim the right to have a say in the politics we endure.
Will I be ok?
You can not fully understand my creative path without understanding my migration story. I know where I come from, the birthplace of humanity. I also know where I was modelled. The cultural foundation that was infused into my advanced technology (mind and brain). I am French, there is no doubt about it. Like many, I challenge what it means to be French. I challenge and bring an extra spark to the French Picture and narrative. It has always been this way.
We all challenge the land we inhabit and we express a diverse image of that land. Therefore, I will keep bursting illusions and focus on the good within me and the good I can do. May it be my light and joy as I walk down the streets of this ‘‘revealed’’ France.
A word to the youth… if I may
These words are for the youth, the multicultural youth from all the colors of the rainbow. You can burst illusions and make a mark in any territory, even the most hostile. Do not be afraid or anxious. There are events and forces at play that we may not fully understand, but you have a light as your armour, the beautiful humans that you are. May your immense talent, empathy, and intelligence speak in the face of ignorance. May your audacity to create, believe, and dare to improve the lives of your fellow inhabitants of this earth keep you grounded. One step at a time, one recovery at a time, one conversation at a time, one smile at a time... you dissolve any illusion.
Grab your needles...
Sending ‘‘calm’’ vibes 🌞
Political tensions worldwide urge creatives to create with more ‘‘fire’’ in their pens…
I hope you enjoyed the read of the week. If you enjoy this letter → 💖 put a heart on it and feel free to share it with peers, friends and family! It helps more people discover this space.
Until next time, take good care. I am leaving you with a song and movie recommendation: The Barefoot Contessa, a true masterpiece!).
Keva.
Keva, I'm so sorry this is happening right now in France. I see the same thing here in the US, unfortunately, and in other areas of Europe as well (mainly Italy and Germany). However, I also see some brighter spots, like the recent elections in the north of Europe (things moved away from the far right there), and especially the upcoming UK election. I agree with you, though: there is much good that comes from a crisis, especially the awareness that there is, in fact, a crisis. People are politically engaged today in a way I've never seen in my own lifetime, and that is very notable.
You're right about creative people drawing inspiration from turmoil, too!