We can’t go on forever with our terrible habit of going to the next thing forgetting the thing before that. Not this time, it’s too much.

I won’t talk about you, who am I to do that, let me just tell you about me (I do that a lot, I know…). Let me just tell you that I won’t be able to forget the images of the agony of a man under the murderous knee of another man. I won’t be able to forget the eyes of the assassin, his cold look of hatred. I won’t be able to forget all the evil that follow. I certainly don’t want to forget all the good it brought…

These last 2 weeks will define what this country becomes. Heck, what we’ll all become. Will we finally be able to treat each other as brothers and sisters? Will we finally be able to destroy all prejudices? Will we find our way to equality? I don’t know. Won’t be that easy… What I know is that we have to keep trying.

And when I see all the young people peacefully demonstrate in the street, when I see my 18-year-old daughter, mask on, marching on Hollywood Boulevard next to kids from every background, I’m hopeful… This time, it may work.

But for this, we’ll need every weapon available. Culture is one of them. Francophonie is also one of them. We have to use the work of our writers, filmmakers, musicians, all our artists, to think, analyze, approach our world differently.

We have to read again Aimé Césaire or Léopold Sédar Senghor, watch the film from Raul Peck or Ladj Ly, and listen to the music and dances from everywhere.

We have to learn. And most of us expats, we have the good fortune to have two cultures, the one from where we come from and the one from where we are… Let’s enjoy both of them; let’s find the tools to fix our world in both these cultures.

Yes, it’s the worst of times. Let’s make it the best of times. Together!

To learn more about French and Francophone culture in America, tune in to Rendez-vous d’Amérique on TV5MONDE USA. Clickherefor more information.

Exploring cultural diversity entwined with the bright lights of major cities and the safety of one’s own home, Rendez-vous d'Amérique invites you on a journey to discover Francophone culture in America. Your host on this cultural experience is Didier Allouch - reporter, cinephile, and a familiar face at movie premieres. Click here to learn how you can subscribe to TV5MONDE USA and never miss an episode!