Featured stories about Martinique
Stories about Martinique
As shorebird populations drastically decline in the French Caribbean, hunting traditions persist
The colonial era practice is still popular in Martinique and Guadeloupe, and also takes place in French Guiana, Suriname and, to a lesser extent, Barbados.
Taking down statues: France confronts its colonial and slave trade past
Amid global action against racism, France has been divided for several weeks over what to do about statues of historical figures that are connected to slavery and colonialism.
Will the Lesser Antillean iguana be saved from extinction?
The decline of this species, whose life expectancy can at least reach 15 years, could be linked to two interconnected phenomena: competition and hybridisation.
Will a World Cup joke force France to have a necessary conversation about Africa?
"By calling them an African team it seems you are denying their Frenchness."
‘We Dare Not Look Out': Dominica Is Brutalised by Hurricane Maria
'Initial reports are of widespread devastation. So far we have lost all what money can buy and replace. [The] physical damage at this time [...] is devastating…indeed, mind boggling.'
French Diversity Raises an Eyebrow at Nicolas Sarkozy’s ‘Our Ancestors Are the Gauls’ Declaration
"When you're six years old and you read that your ancestors were Gauls, with fair hair and blue eyes... it wasn't only us who giggled, it was the teacher, too.”
A Summer Reading List from Global Voices French-Language Contributors
Need some summer reading material? Here's a reading list of mostly Francophone authors recommended by the GV community.
Footballers with Caribbean Roots at FIFA World Cup
No Caribbean nation is represented at the World Cup this year, but Repeating Islands takes note of quite a few players with regional roots.
Explaining the Evergrowing Tradition of “Chanté Nwèl” (Singing Christmas) in the French West Indies
Between late November and December 25, a unique tradition is taking place every year in the Francophone Caribbean islands, especially in Martinique and Guadeloupe. “Chanté Nwel” [fr] is a time when people come together to not only sing traditional Christmas songs but also share a meal as a community. Although the...
Have Racist Behaviors Been Unleashed in France ?
Epitomized by racial taunts [fr] towards the French Guiana-born Minister of Justice Christine Taubira on the cover of the weekly newspaper Minute, many observers bemoan the rise of racist behaviors [fr] in France. One of those observers is Harry Roselmack, a prominent reporter born in Martinique, who wrote an editorial in which...
Tchip: The “Shaking My Head” Meme from Africa
Nadéra Bouazza explains what being “tchippée” [fr] means for french speaking black communities. Tchip is the sound one makes when he/she disapproves of the behavior/action of someone else (roughly similar to the “shaking my head” internet slang). The “Tchip” sound is used across most black communities and has become an internet meme:
Poet Aimé Césaire's Battle Continues Stronger than Ever
The verdict in the Trayvon Martin case coincided with what would have been Césaire's 100th birthday. Our new author Amadou Lamine Badji from Senegal, examines the correlation.
Caribbean: Tropical Storm Chantal
Tropical Storm Chantal has caused the temporary closure of some regional airports and the cancellation of flights. The Bajan Reporter has the latest.
Caribbean: What Happened in 2012 (Part 1)
This year, events in the regional blogosphere were curiously bookended by hunger strikes. Part 1 of this 2012 recap takes a look at the topics that most shaped online discussion in the Bahamian, Cuban and French-speaking Caribbean blogospheres.
French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique: Ministers Appointed for Skills or as Tokens?
With a great majority of voters for candidate Hollande in the French presidential elections hailing from the overseas regions, French-Caribbean bloggers were impatient to see which French Guyanese, Martinican or Guadeloupean politicians would be assigned a key government ministry.
Martinique: “Think Like A Man”, Just Not in France
The cancellation of the release of American movie “Think Like A Man” in movie theaters is being discussed by French of African descent. Read on to find out how an American movie finds a place in the French social debate.
Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana: Is “Miss Black France” Acceptable?
While French people are still in the midst of the presidential elections, with its second round coming up on May 5-6, bloggers in the French overseas territories were buzzing about another vote this past week: the “Miss Black France” contest.
Martinique: Where has Creole gone?
On Martinican collective blog Montray Kreyol, a recent post [Fr/Fr Cr] wonders why Martinique 1ère [Fr], which is the local relay of the French National Broadcast Network, Fance Television [En], has almost no Creole language spoken on air.
Martinique, USA, France: Jesse Jackson's message to Serge Letchimy
B.World Connection posts a letter [En/Fr] with the heading of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition whose leader is Reverend Jesse Jackson: apparently, the Reverend would support the reaction of MP Serge Letchimy, discussed here, in the name of the Black Diaspora and all humanity.
Martinique, Guadeloupe, France: MP Letchimy Against Minister Guéant
Bloggers and mainstream journalists around the French-speaking blogosphere have been buzzing once more about French Minister of Home Affairs, Claude Guéant, who is notorious for suggesting extreme right-wing policies about national identity, religion and immigration.
Martinique: All together around Creole
The Creole language in the Caribbean and the cooperation between islands were recently discussed during the Creole-speaking Regions Days, as explained in this post on Tous Créoles [Fr Cr/Fr]. One of the most debated issues was a visa waiving program between the French Caribbean islands and the rest of the...
