Race, Identity, and Speaking Out Across France & the U.S, with Rokhaya Diallo and Thomas Chatterton Williams

In this Harvest Series episode, Rose Claverie sits down with journalist-filmmaker Rokhaya Diallo and author Thomas Chatterton Williams to explore courage, race, and identity across two continents. Recorded in Kaplankaya, this conversation examines what it means to challenge dominant narratives in societies with very different approaches to discussing race. Rokhaya shares her path to becoming a leading public voice in France, shaped by personal experience and the absence of representation in French media. Thomas reflects on his transatlantic perspective, contrasting the reception of his work in the U.S. and France, and discussing race as both a fiction and a lived reality. From intellectual courage to personal passions — including anime, sport, and literature — this episode offers a layered conversation about identity, visibility, and the price of speaking out. Chapters  00:00 – Welcome to Harvest & introduction 00:29 – Raising your voice in a quiet world 01:19 – First impressions & arrival in Kaplankaya 02:01 – Rokhaya’s background and roots 02:50 – Thomas’s background and roots 03:33 – Becoming public voices on race & identity 04:20 – Gender awareness from a young age 05:04 – Discovering racial perception in adulthood 07:01 – Representation in media: France vs. U.S. 08:51 – Impossibility of seeing oneself in French media 10:23 – Visibility changes & ongoing gaps 11:12 – Representation in French cinema and culture 12:08 – Thomas on becoming a public writer 13:22 – Race as a prism in writing 15:01 – France vs. U.S. discourse on race 17:10 – Contrasting receptions of their work 18:16 – Race as fiction with real-world impact 19:10 – Misuse of each other’s work in debates 20:20 – Expectation of “gratitude” from minorities 22:10 – Complexity of national identity and history 23:20 – Audience reactions and defensiveness 24:25 – The impossibility of a racism-free society 25:01 – Left-wing critique vs. accusations toward minorities 25:27 – Balancing debate fatigue with mission 26:07 – Intellectual courage and respectful discourse 27:04 – Handling online criticism & resilience 28:06 – Superpower: not needing strangers to like you 28:59 – Fatigue from being misunderstood 29:17 – Desire to speak beyond confrontational topics 30:04 – Media reception and debate framing 31:15 – Topics beyond race & politics: anime, sport, literature 34:09 – Current projects and upcoming books 36:07 – Graphic novel biography of Angela Davis 37:27 – Magic wand changes: better dialogue & equal storytelling 39:19 – Closing thanks and reflections If you had the courage to change one thing in your society, what would it be?You can follow us on Instagram at @HarvestSeries or @rose.claverie for updates. Watch our podcast episodes and speaker sessions on YouTube: Harvest Series. Credits:Sound editing by: @lesbellesfrequencesTechnician in Kaplankaya: Joel MoriasiMusic by: ChambordArtwork by: Davide d'Antonio Harvest Series is produced in partnership with Athena Advisers and <a...