On the 16th of February 2007, I was part of a team of twelve dubbing an American TV show alongside another colored friend “A.”. During the coffee break, the director asked if we would be available on March the 20th. Most of us were. At the end of the day, those who had finished left with the exception of four persons, A, the sound engineer, and I. The director Then turned to A and myself and said: "I don’t know if we need people like you for the next episode, and since you have perculiar voices, I can’t hire you, you cannot dub white people."

One thing you have to know about dubbing is that: "Black actors have deep Black voices." Asian actors have "high pitched Asian" voices. White actors, on the other hand, are lucky enough to be able to dub White, Black and Asian people. People believe this so strongly that is not uncommon to hear a White actress say that she has a "Black voice" without realizing she is being racist, on the contrary, she is dubbing Blacks. This industry has a problem with color. Only the good African American actors are "qualified" and, this is a quote: "there are no good Black French actors or enough diversity", so we employ white actors, who are better.

The violence of racism destroys

People smile. But this violence destroys. Your history is ripped away from yourself. It forces you to say goodbye to the beaches of Normandie, goodbye to the creamy skin of the woman you used to call mother, goodbye to your white cousins who used to say "I have always wanted to have colored children, it must be because of your brother and you." Goodbye to the Conservatoire, goodbye “England” (the Language from Normandy)… you are "Black" which means you are "a different species", you come from "Black-land". Shocked and gutted, we left without the white actors uttering as much as a word.

Later on, I wrote to this director, telling her of how hurt my feelings were and what a voice is all about. Answer: "We will not work together again until further notice." I wrote to the dubbing company who will hope I remain silent. I wrote to the HALDE (Haut Comité de Lutte contre les Discriminations et pour l’Egalité – Higher Committee of the Fight against Discrimination and for Equality). A. followed me and then got afraid. I am taking the risk to be « black listed ».

I called the journalists I know. I had already told them about the racism in this industry where they present you as "colored but not too much.", they tell you "not forget you are Black" when you start getting wrapped up in your role… This time its our "special voice". I wrote to the Libération newspaper and PPDA (the number French news anchor and one of the top journalists) who had interviewed Halle Berry on the subject of racism, I called France Culture (radio), France 2 (television), my friend Anna who is white has tried in vain to convince her journalist aunt.

A useful mobilization

This December, the HALDE answered that it could not look into my case, so I went to the HCI (Haut Comité pour l’Intégration – Higher Committee for Integration) where I was at least heard. In January, I contacted the CRAN ( Comité Representatif des Associations Noires – Representative Committee of Black Associations) where i was equally listened to. I heard a journalist from the “Nouvel Observateur” on television speaking about racism. I contacted him. He read the dossier that Anne and I had put together which showed that if Whites can dub Blacks on the other hand can’t. Almost all the main roles played by African American actors are dubbed by White actors. Of course there are exceptions. What is totally absurd is that people sometimes find that a Black actors’ voice is not "Black enough" and will rather use a White actor who will be willing to do the cliché. At last the article was published on February the 14th. The HALDE contacted by the HCI and the journalist, reopened the case.

The article signed by Olivier Toscer and the action taken by the CRAN attracted calls from several media companies including the Times. Then followed a series of interviews, for France Ô, RFO, RFI. None of the "mainstream" French media answered. One British journalist and "community" channels reacted. "Theatre must be the bigger comment of society" wrote Roland Barthes. The comments were astonishing.

I knew the apple trees way before the palm trees, the beaches of Normandie before those of the Salines, I get sun burns "Yes, Black people tan." I live in Paris. Why does racist discrimination during job interviews not bother France 3, France 2, France Inter, France Culture, France Info ? Why is it that no mainstream media feels concerned by what is behind the images it transmits?