Tom Reiss, author "The Black Count" on France's First Black General Alex Dumas

Great show and great book

Nobody in France heard about that story... Bravo for the book, I am just starting reading it. Merci beaucoup...

So much I didn't know...Thank you for posting this video...I had no clue about General Alexander Dumas and his son...I read the book but I had no clue a black man wrote it and it was about his father who was a great black general who fought for France...wow...so much they don't teach you in School..As a black man I feel that we are made to believe black people did nothing to advance this world...very sad when stories like this get suppressed from the public...This was very refreshing! Thank You!

You're welcome. Thanks for watching the video and I hope you'll watch more and subscribe to the channel. Cheers, Mimi

Don't you love the part about the safe?

Really enjoyed this interview........ doing a book review on this book, and this helps give me a little better insight....

Thomas dumas was not black, he was a french creole of partly african descent. And he was not a black man in a white society, because there were a lot of officers or artists etc. of african descent in those days. Also the music teacher of marie antoinette who was even more famous in paris than dumas. Passing was irrelevant, the only thing relevant was if someons was of noble ancestry. Passing is an american invention.

Napoleon was married to a wealthy woman from the planter class of martinique. She hated the slaves and the french revolution because of those rebellions she had to flee back to the motherland, losing her wealth. And she was influential on napoleon, therefore the racial laws.
But after 1818 all those racial laws were liquidated. There were no such things like forbidden mixed marriage, or forbidden living areas for persons of african descent after 1818.

Napoleon led from the front too early in his career. He just stopped doing that later because he was too important to risk losing.

I just get into this book  completely. It's really outstanding.

Thank you, for your exciting hard work in uncovering this story! Excellent interview! Plus in your book you mentioned Chevailer St Georges! Really puts historical significance and ties things together! Would really like to know more when you mentioned France First Civil Rights Movement comparison, and even Reconstruction. Bravo!

Mimi Geerges; great and valuable interview. Thank you!

Great stuff, well researched, not sensationalised, and great props to Reiss. Super interesting interview, I'll be looking for the book!

What does the interviewer even mean with visibly black. This differntiation of visibly black and black without much visible african
appearance did never exist anywhere except in south africa or the united states.
Noone even spent a thought if someone had an african grandfather or some other african distant relative. If you looked white you were white. One of the main colonial generals of the french army in late 19th century was born in senegambia for example.
The founder of french socialist party and son in law to karl marx, paul lafargue was of afro carrebean ancestry among others.
The idea that even a person of non visible african ancestry having problems has only ever been an american pathology.
Anywhere else this would sound crazy.

I think that "race" of white and black was really just something emphasized on with America. I don't think it was really something emphasized on with France.

What an amazing story, and this all influenced his son's books

He was also Alexander Pushkin of Russia literature same person look it up thank me later

I just recently completed reading the Black Count. Great book. I loved it.

Was there racism?, ......it’s amazing they had the first civil rights movement lol

Thank you and thank you very much Google for this wonderful and real life story. How amazing, I always like watching 'The Three Musketeers' and I thought it was written by a white person. As a Black person I am very happy to know about this discovery.

The editor cut the most important portions. Disgusting.

Well done Mimi. I am a Dumas fan so I am searching for this book right now!!

Followed the Rabbit hole down to this fabulous interview with Tom Reiss and the story of Alex Dumas. So incredibly fascinating I was at his tomb in Paris many years ago, but had no idea at that time, who he was. I have always been a huge fan of his work without knowing anything about his heritage and his extraordinary life. Great and compelling interview. Can't wait to get Tom's book! Thank you!

He was 10 ft tall and there weren't a woman who could resist his charm. He once killed a Grisly bear with his left index finger. And he's right handed.

If Jon Livingston and Patton Oswald had a baby, it would be this guy.

you don't have to try to make everything about race there... it is a remarkable man, in a foreign land, who had to be acknowledge because he was great. The same could be said for Marco Polo in Mongolia, but his race is not the main focus point there.
That all being said, as a Dumas (the novelist) fan, this was a remarkable history lesson, thank you.

I am a descendant of Dumas. Thank you Tom Reiss. I have read your book and enjoyed it.

I have the book and it was a fantastic read , totally enjoyable & mesmerizing.

Read the book a movie would be spectacular what a life of a man who history tried to forget. Thank you Tom!

I loved the book, black count.

I believe he was like Hoppin’ Bob from “Life”

Did he look Black? Madam We Black people are many shades ,with or without a white parent or ancestor . Very insightful interview .

Great book!

Tom Reiss has definitely not yet read the book Paekche's Principle The Great Secret of Asia. Somebody must let him get his hands on one ASAP!

Just finished the book. Really sad no French ruler has reinstated General Dumas' statue. May be not this century! In 2022 France is about to choose if it wants a political leader of extremist right wing views. Is France going to choose to ignore equality all over again? And the UK right wing political leader has just announced that (I suspect mostly Black and Brown) refugees will be sent to Rwanda. Dunno how that is going to work!

Racism is satanic.

Would Mimi like to tell the story ? Damn
She keeps interrupting her guest to tell the story and hurry him up.
😒

Fantastic interview of which I knew nothing.
Excellent education.

My grandmother Lillian mother was named after her grandmother Colette, Dumas my grandfather Edward Dumas who owned land in Natchitoches always told the family Alexander Dumas and Thomas Alexander Dumas are great great great grandparents I can’t make this up my grandmother mother colette Dumas moved to California she is actually buried in California with my uncle frank we will get are just do rip to the family members who will not have a chance to see this day that we get are just do I get emotional when I talk about this stuff my grandmother 88 years old and before she is gone we will get justice for her Dumas family on god

I cannot believe we study this book in school and they never ever told as he was black or from black descendants. I am talking about being schooled in Africa !!! I mean wow !

Amazing interview.

They could easily make a 10-episode mini-series about Napoleon's Egypt Campaign focusing on Dumas' & Napoleon's relationship & Dumas' rise & fall.