Temps de lecture : 2 minutes
On Saturday, May 10, 2025, the City of Montpellier launched a poster campaign to mark the Journée des mémoires de la traite, de l'esclavage et de leur abolition.
To illustrate its commitment against all forms of discrimination, and racism in particular, the City chose a quote by Alphonse de Lamartine, a landmark 19th-century writer and politician.
The illustration features three women of diverse origins standing on the emblematic fountain of the Place de la Comédie, next to the Three Graces, symbol of harmony and collective beauty, alongside whom we read Lamartine's famous quote "I am the color of those who are persecuted". The campaign signature invites our fellow citizens to "fight" this crime on a daily basis.
Through this campaign, Montpellier is reaffirming its commitment to the republican values of equality and fraternity. In these times marked by hatred and the rise of populism that drives us further apart, it is our duty to hammer home the message that the stigmatization of a man or woman because of their skin color or origins has no place in our country. In combating racism, we remain faithful to the history of which we are heirs: since the Middle Ages, our city has been steeped in a long tradition of welcome, solidarity and resistance to all forms of discrimination and intolerance. Here in Montpellier, there's only room for acceptance and diversity!
Michaël DELAFOSSE
President of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole
Mayor of Montpellier