Abstract During the first quarter of the 20th Century a small group of black intellectuals, artists, and musicians abandoned the United States for Paris. The rumor was that the French did not believe in racist theories – that France offered blacks social and economic opportunities not available in the States. This paper critically examines that narrative as well as North America’s melting pot legend – an expression of the promise of America made popular in 1909 by playwright Israel Zangwill. The stories that we tell about ourselves as a nation are important because our moral sentiments are frequently a product of these narratives. They influence our vision of populations and their circumstances. They serve as starting points for philosophical investigation and critical self-reflection. My intent is not to prove these stories or narratives false but rather, to illustrate how their widespread acceptance has affected people’s abilities to recognize, understand, and responsibly address compelling and complex racial problems. What I recommend is the need for an on-going, comprehensive, and critical examination of socially dominant historical narratives.

中文翻译：

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黑人法国，黑人美国：参与历史叙事

摘要在20世纪第一季度，一小群黑人知识分子，艺术家和音乐家将美国抛弃在巴黎。有传言说法国人不相信种族主义理论-法国为黑人提供了美国没有的社会和经济机会。本文对这一叙事以及北美的熔炉传奇进行了严格的考察，这是1909年由剧作家以色列·桑威尔（Israel Zangwill）提出的对美国的承诺的表达。我们讲述自己作为一个国家的故事很重要，因为我们的道德情感通常是这些叙事的产物。它们影响着我们对人口及其状况的看法。它们是哲学研究和批判性自我反思的起点。我的目的不是要证明这些故事或叙述是虚假的，而是要说明它们的广泛接受如何影响人们认识，理解和负责任地解决令人信服的复杂种族问题的能力。我建议需要对社会主导的历史叙述进行持续，全面和批判的考察。