In the National Assembly, the MP Frédéric Maillot points out the use of the term “black work”

There are expressions that will not pass, for the MP Reunion Frédéric Maillot. During the debate on the finance bill for 2025, last Thursday, October 24, 2024, the deputy for the 6th constituency of Reunion Island wanted “share a feeling about the semantics used in our beautiful hemicycle, without falling into value judgment“.

What triggers his feeling are all those negative expressions in the French language using the adjective “noir“. Starting with the “unspecified work”a phrase indicating secret employment.

“(…) Why talk about ‘undeclared work’? Couldn’t we use ‘hidden work’ instead? Why every time it was negative the word ‘black’ used?”

Frederic Maillot, deputy leader of the New Popular Front

Watch his speech at the National Assembly:

Frederic Maillot

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© National Assembly

Before citing examples like “black list“, naming a set of undesirable persons or entities,”black sheep“, to speak of a person who is kept apart from a group, or even”embroidery“, related to being depressed. So many expressions that, in fact, refer to negative words, although their origin has nothing to do with the color of the skin of individuals.

The use, however, raises the eyebrows of Frédéric Maillot, who preferred that synonyms be used. “And still we say vote”white“and no one will be chosen“, he said before speaking to applause.

For the record, the phrase “unspecified work“Illegal work that was first called because it was done at night, but in the Middle Ages work had to be done only in daylight.”to cry” it would originally be used by painters to crush coal to paint it black, the color of beer black. AN “black sheep” it comes from the low proportion of animals of this color in a herd, compared to those that sport white wool.

The subject seems to be close to the MP’s heart: the day before, Frédéric Maillot had “Symposium on Linguistic Discrimination” together with his Guadeloupe colleague Olivier Serva.