In 2005, following the death of two youths of African origin, France erupted in a wave of violent protest. More than 10,000 automobiles were burned or stoned, hundreds of public buildings were vandalized or burned to the ground, and hundreds of people were injured. Charles Tshimanga, Didier Gondola, Peter J. Bloom, and a group of international scholars seek to understand the causes and consequences of these momentous events, while examining how the concept of Frenchness has been reshaped by the African diaspora in France and the colonial legacy.

Contributions by: Didier Lapeyronnie, Achille Mbembe, Ahmed Boubeker, Frederick A. Cooper, Florence Bernault, Nicolas Bancel, Pierre Tévanian, Nacira Guénif-Souilamas