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France’s National Assembly voted unanimously on May 28, 2026, to annul the longstanding Code Noir, a law that governed slavery in French colonies since its inception in 1685. The vote, which concluded with a margin of 254 to zero, marks a significant step in addressing France’s colonial past, even as the repeal awaits approval from the Senate.
The Code Noir, signed by King Louis XIV, classified enslaved individuals as movable property, mandated their conversion to Catholicism, and outlined harsh penalties for escape attempts, including ear mutilation. Although France abolished slavery in its colonies in 1848 and recognized it as a crime against humanity in 2001, the Code Noir remained officially unrepealed until now.
The recent vote has been characterized as symbolic by some lawmakers and activists. While it closes a legal gap that should have been resolved nearly two centuries ago, discussions continue regarding the implications for descendants of enslaved people and broader issues related to reparations. Activists have called for comprehensive reparations programs to address ongoing systemic racism and educational disparities.
France has a complex history with slavery, being the third-largest slave trader in Europe, with over one million Africans transported to the Caribbean for forced labor on plantations between the 17th and 19th centuries. The unanimous decision to annul the Code Noir is viewed as a necessary acknowledgment of this painful history, but it also highlights the ongoing struggle for recognition and justice among many in the French Caribbean and beyond.
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