Harvest Series Race, Identity, and Speaking Out Across France & the U.S, with Rokhaya Diallo and Thomas Chatterton Williams
In this Harvest Series episode, Rose Claverie sits down with journalist-filmmaker Rokhaya Diallo and author Thomas Chatterton Williams to explore courage, race, and identity across two continents. Recorded in Kaplankaya, this conversation examines what it means to challenge dominant narratives in societies with very different approaches to discussing race.
Rokhaya shares her path to becoming a leading public voice in France, shaped by personal experience and the absence of representation in French media. Thomas reflects on his transatlantic perspective, contrasting the reception of his work in the U.S. and France, and discussing race as both a fiction and a lived reality.
From intellectual courage to personal passions — including anime, sport, and literature — this episode offers a layered conversation about identity, visibility, and the price of speaking out.
Chapters
00:00 – Welcome to Harvest & introduction
00:29 – Raising your voice in a quiet world
01:19 – First impressions & arrival in Kaplankaya
02:01 – Rokhaya’s background and roots
02:50 – Thomas’s background and roots
03:33 – Becoming public voices on race & identity
04:20 – Gender awareness from a young age
05:04 – Discovering racial perception in adulthood
07:01 – Representation in media: France vs. U.S.
08:51 – Impossibility of seeing oneself in French media
10:23 – Visibility changes & ongoing gaps
11:12 – Representation in French cinema and culture
12:08 – Thomas on becoming a public writer
13:22 – Race as a prism in writing
15:01 – France vs. U.S. discourse on race
17:10 – Contrasting receptions of their work
18:16 – Race as fiction with real-world impact
19:10 – Misuse of each other’s work in debates
20:20 – Expectation of “gratitude” from minorities
22:10 – Complexity of national identity and history
23:20 – Audience reactions and defensiveness
24:25 – The impossibility of a racism-free society
25:01 – Left-wing critique vs. accusations toward minorities
25:27 – Balancing debate fatigue with mission
26:07 – Intellectual courage and respectful discourse
27:04 – Handling online criticism & resilience
28:06 – Superpower: not needing strangers to like you
28:59 – Fatigue from being misunderstood
29:17 – Desire to speak beyond confrontational topics
30:04 – Media reception and debate framing
31:15 – Topics beyond race & politics: anime, sport, literature
34:09 – Current projects and upcoming books
36:07 – Graphic novel biography of Angela Davis
37:27 – Magic wand changes: better dialogue & equal storytelling
39:19 – Closing thanks and reflections
If you had the courage to change one thing in your society, what would it be?You can follow us on Instagram at @HarvestSeries or @rose.claverie for updates.
Watch our podcast episodes and speaker sessions on YouTube: Harvest Series.
Credits:
- Sound editing by: @lesbellesfrequences
- Technician in Kaplankaya: Joel Moriasi
- Music by: Chambord
- Artwork by: Davide d'Antonio
Harvest Series is produced in partnership with Athena Advisers and Capital Partners
Harvest Series Founders: Burak Öymen and Roman Carel