Racial Attitudes and Historical Memory in the Maghreb: An Experimental Analysis

• In Event: Race, Ethnicity, and Minoritized Groups in MENA

Abstract

The rise in anti-Black sentiment in North Africa has brought renewed attention to the salience of racial divisions in the Maghreb. In Tunisia specifically, the endorsement of anti-Black rhetoric by President Kais Saied has lead to an escalation of violence against Black Tunisians and the mass expulsion of sub-Saharan African migrants from their jobs and homes. In this study, we investigate the extent of racial tensions in Tunisia and explore whether historical memory of the country’s racially progressive past can induce more favorable racial attitudes in the present. Employing a novel survey experiment, we leverage Tunisia’s history as the first Muslim and Arab country to abolish slavery to improve racial attitudes among those most likely to hold racist views — Tunisian nationalists and supporters of Kais Saied. We find that reminders of racial progress induces more positive attitudes towards Blacks among Tunisian nationalists, but only when they have close contact with Black residents in their local area. In the absence of such contact, racial tensions cannot be overcome by evoking the historical narrative alone. This research contributes to the literature on race and politics by shedding light on the potential for historical narratives and national identity to serve as mechanisms for promoting racial tolerance. In addition to nuancing our understanding of the complex racial dynamics in North Africa, it offers lessons for promoting racial harmony in multi-ethnic states.

Authors

• Ashley Anderson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Sharan Grewal, American University