Today, all countries that were colonized by France have gained their independence, yet discussions about its legacy continue. Many films, documentaries, literary works, speeches, and critical writings contribute to the ongoing conversation about liberty and justice in relation to independence. A 2024 documentary produced by Wandrille Lanos, titled Haïti, la rançon de l'indépendance, explores how liberty and justice were interpreted during Haiti’s struggle for independence. From September 22 to 26, 2025, during the United Nations General Debate at the 80th Session, the current president of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, argued that colonization should be recognized as one of the greatest crimes against humanity. For Mahama, such recognition represents justice for those who died or whose parents suffered under colonial rule. 

After independence, many former colonial countries, as well as France, sought justice. On one hand, the formerly colonized nations produced numerous speeches and works calling for restitution. For example, in the film Dahomey by Mati Diop, the filmmaker advocates for the restitution of looted artifacts. Similarly, the former president of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, demanded that France return the money Haiti had paid for its independence. On the other hand, in January 2025, Emmanuel Macron stated that countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger should be grateful to France for what it had done for them. This panel seeks to examine how, in the fight for independence, liberty and justice were negotiated between France and its formerly colonized countries around the world and its aftermath.  

We invite papers that explore the theme of liberty and justice during the struggle for independence and its aftermath. We encourage studies that examine the interconnectedness of colonization and decolonization with liberty and justice, focusing on how independence was achieved.

Please send your 200-word abstract in French or English to sawuni@crimson.ua.edu (Sawel Awuni) , along with the title of the paper, your email, your institutional affiliation, and a brief one-paragraph bio. Please send your submission by November 25, 2025. Thank you!