SOBANDE ET AL.
From: Guillaume To: Kevin, Francesca, Alice, Kwame, Subject: What makes flânerie different? I agree 100% with the quotes and experiences you shared, no doubt about this. As pointed out in one of the quotes shared by Francesca: [flânerie involves] the racialized dynamics of the gaze, i.e. the performative and normative regulation of space through the violent policing of who can look at whom, who can be seen and who remain invisible, who must look down and who cannot look away.18 My question, though, is: what differentiates flânerie from other social practices historically racialised as White? For instance, what differentiates flânerie from shopping, researching, and skiing? The shopper figure, the researcher figure and the skier figure have also been socially constructed based on race (as well as gender and class). Black shopping, researching, and skiing also involve the racialised dynamics of the gaze—but I am not sure that someone will claim after a controversy involving shopping, researching, or skiing: “I have always said you can’t be a Black shopper/researcher/skier.” Or if someone tries to say so, they may get into trouble. For instance, Joe Biden had to apologise after he said, during the 2020 election campaign: If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.19 If we cannot deny the existence of Black Trump voters, why can we deny the existence of Black flâneurs? 18. Edwin Hill, “Black Flânerie, or Wandering while Black in the City of Light.” 19. Annie Linskey & Colby Itkowitz, “Black Trump voters ‘ain’t black,’ Biden says, later apologizing,” The Seattle Times, 22 May 2020, https://www. seattletimes.com/nation-world/biden-says-black-voters-who-arent-alreadysupporting-him-aint-black/. 21