by Bailey Porter
Staff Writer
University of La Verne Honors and French students attended a lecture and tour of a new exhibit at the Fowler Museum of Cultural History at the University of California, Los Angeles Thursday, March 20.
The discussion proved relevant to the French students in attendance as well as to the Honors 330 class focus of decolonization as it relates to Francophone Africa.
Eric Grekowicz and Gerard Lavatori, who teach the class, along with Janice Johnson, associate professor of English as a second language, accompanied the students.
The event was co-sponsored by the French Consulate General and the Quebec Delegation in Los Angeles and was introduced by Polly Roberts, chief curator of the Fowler Museum.
The Quebec delegate, Mark Boucher, stated that roundtable discussions, that is, informal discussions with comments from the audience, like this one, are necessary for promoting the concept of French speaking people living in Francophone countries without living as if in a museum.
He used an example of his children having the opportunity to build jets and design software in French while remaining competitive in the global market.
He stressed the need of the people of Quebec to prepare for the challenges of the new century and to preserve the French idiom, which strengthens French culture in the process.
But, he said that unifying under the French language was not to be done to form a culturally homogenous country excluded from the rest of the world.
Another speaker was Dominic Thomas, assistant professor at UCLA with the Department for French and Francophone Studies.
He has recently published a book that attempts to discuss colonization and decolonization, or the process that removed the colonizers from countries such as Senegal in West Africa, after much fighting for independence.
In his book, he quotes an account of Africa’s oral tradition and the need to achieve a workable diversity within French speaking countries.
This oral tradition in Africa should be recognized for its importance to the culture, Thomas said.
“In Africa, when an old person dies, it is like a library burning,” he said.
Professor Allen Roberts with the department of world arts and cultures at UCLA said that the vehicle of language must be used to talk across the differences faced in Francophone countries.
The opportunity for making a difference in the world lies in the language, he said.
Polly Roberts and Allen Roberts have collaborated for almost a decade with Senegalese artists and decided that an exhibit showcasing their art was relevant in keeping with the theme of Francophone countries as a cultural entity of the entire French culture.
The exhibit, “A Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Senegal,” reflects the art of nine Senegalese artists.
The art is reflective of Islam and Sufism, which is considered the inner, mystical or purely spiritual dimension of the religion of Islam.
Freshman In Lai, a student of French, said, “It gave me insight into the country, France, and also Francophone countries. It was interesting how different people view (decolonization).
Sophomore honors student Meghan Foreman said, “I thought that it was interesting to see all of the varying perspectives, especially going to a big university that has many teachers that specialize in French and Francophone studies.”
Junior Dorothy Enriquez is minoring in French and found the lecture and art exhibit to be an excellent experience.
Enriquez will be studying abroad in France to hone her language skills and learn about French culture, she said.
