The French National team, and 2018 World Cup champions was undeniably a very Black team. Anyone with functioning eyes can see that and anyone aware of France’s history of colonialism and imperialism in Africa will understand the dynamics at play. The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah spoke about this previously and made a joke that “Africa won the World Cup” after the aforementioned very Black French team won it.
Well, the French ambassador to the U.S. was not happy with his comments. Ambassador Gerard Araud complained that Noah was “denying their Frenchness” when he called them an African team and that was when The Daily Show host pointed out the hypocrisy with how migrants are treated in France.
The Shadow League on Twitter
Stop what you’re doing and watch this. Trevor Noah responds to the French ambassador to the U.S. who got upset because Noah joked and said “Africa won the World Cup” after France won it. He calls out the double standard to how African migrants are viewed. https://t.co/AiNnEVRv3w
Noah talks about how the “unsavory” African migrants are only viewed as African, but if they provide glory like winning a World Cup, then they are French. He also mentioned how the migrant from Mali who climbed a number of stories to save a little child dangling from the balcony and how he was awarded French citizenship after his rescue. Is that what made him French?
Khaled Beydoun on Twitter
Dear France, Congratulations on winning the #WorldCup. 80% of your team is African, cut out the racism and xenophobia. 50% of your team are Muslims, cut out the Islamophobia. Africans and Muslims delivered you a second World Cup, now deliver them justice.
They can’t have it both ways.
