France Repeals Long-Defunct Code Noir 176 Years After Abolishing Slavery

France repealed the Code Noir last week. The law had regulated slavery by treating people as property in French colonies and permitted them to be worked, beaten, sold, raped and killed. France abolished slavery in 1848.

The Code Noir remained on the books until its repeal last week. Olivette Otele, a historian and professor at SOAS in London, said the repeal allows discussion of reparations to begin. "Now we can start talking about reparations," she said.