On Thursday, the French National Assembly made a historic decision that put a final period to a long-standing debate about the country's colonial past. Deputies unanimously voted to abolish the 'Black Code' (Code Noir) — a set of laws signed by King Louis XIV in 1685. This document, which legally codified slavery in French colonies, remained in force for nearly two centuries after the practice of slavery itself was officially banned.
Total Dehumanization
The 'Black Code' consisted of 60 articles regulating every aspect of the lives of enslaved people. In the document, a human being was officially equated to 'movable property'. The law allowed owners not only to force people to work but also to sell them, subject them to torture, violence, and even kill them without any legal consequences. Article 44 of the code explicitly declared a slave to be a thing, and their testimony in court had no legal weight.
The paradox of the situation was that this law continued to exist in the French legislative field for another 180 years after the abolition of slavery in 1848. In fact, the state ignored the presence in its archives of a document legitimizing crimes against humanity.
Emotional Finale of Debates
The vote passed with a result of 254 'for' and 0 'against', however, behind the scenes and in the assembly hall, emotions ran high. Deputies admitted that many of them did not even suspect that this law was formally still in effect.
Particular attention was drawn to the speech of Steeve Gustave, a deputy from Martinique, whose ancestors were slaves. With tears in his eyes, he reminded his colleagues that no vote could repair centuries of destruction. 'We are not descendants of slaves, we are descendants of people who were born free but were forcibly reduced to the state of livestock,' he stated, emphasizing the tragedy of the situation.
The Path to Reparations
French President Emmanuel Macron called the preservation of the 'Black Code' a form of insult and admitted that the silence of the authorities for two centuries was an unacceptable oversight. The country's leader stated that this document should never have outlived the abolition of slavery.
The abolition of the code sets an important political precedent and could become the first step towards discussing reparations — compensation for historical injustice. Macron emphasized that the question of payments should not be closed, but warned against making 'false promises', as the topic requires careful elaboration and dialogue with affected communities.
