The Black Middle Class, or the Harsh Reality of the American Dream

Sylvie Tissot & translated by Oliver Waine — 2023-01-24T06:00:00Z

The suburbs of the United States, once the epicenter of racial segregation, are now home to more African Americans than ever. Drawing on her investigation of the New York suburbs, Orly Clergé demonstrates the considerable heterogeneity and fragility of the Black middle classes in a society structured by racism.
One particularly evocative type of place sums up all the stereotypes of African Americans: Black ghettos. Orly Clergé's book The New Noir seeks to challenge the way Black people in the

- Reviews / United States, suburbs, middle classes, history, racism

The media construction of the suburbs in France: looking back on the 2007 presidential campaign

Jean Rivière & Sylvie Tissot & translated by Oliver Waine — 2012-05-23T17:38:34Z

In the run-up to the recent French presidential elections, the question of la banlieue – the (generally poor) suburbs that ring every major city in France – barely warranted a mention. In 2007, however, it was a central issue in the election campaign. An analysis of articles in four major national dailies reveals the extent to which the media have helped construct a specific image of the suburbs based on disorder and incivility.
In the aftermath of the recent French presidential elections,

- Essays / working-class neighborhoods, media, suburbs, elections, banlieue

Metropolitics

The Black Middle Class, or the Harsh Reality of the American Dream

The media construction of the suburbs in France: looking back on the 2007 presidential campaign