New Books Network Rachel Jean-Baptiste, "Multiracial Identities in Colonial French Africa: Race, Childhood, and Citizenship" (Cambridge UP, 2023)
Dec 10, 2025
Rachel Jean-Baptiste, a historian specializing in intimacy and race in the French-speaking Atlantic world, delves into the complexities of métis identities in colonial French Africa. She explores the persistence of interracial relationships despite colonial racial hardening and how métis children fought for recognition and rights. Jean-Baptiste highlights African mothers' advocacy, citizenship debates influenced by métis voices, and the evolving landscape post-World War II. Her work reveals the intricate dynamics of race, belonging, and legal claims within a colonial context.
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Intimacy Shapes Personhood
- Rachel Jean-Baptiste frames intimacy as central to creating personhood under colonialism.
- Intimate relations shaped race, family, and political claims in French Africa from 1900–1960.
Métis Recognized Locally
- While searching in Libreville, Jean-Baptiste used the term métis and locals immediately understood who she meant.
- Locals translated métis as "la blanche," revealing local markers of mixed identity.
Hard Law, Lived Mixedness
- Colonial officials hardened racial categories after 1900 but interracial relationships continued in practice.
- The persistent existence of métis challenged legal binaries of French citizen vs. indigène.
