Former French footballer Thuram tackles racism in new cartoon book

In a new cartoon narrative, “Tous Super Héros,” former French footballer Lilian Thuram in collaboration with Jean-Christophe Camus and Benjamin Chaud released a children’s book that creates awareness on education, equality and the fight against racism.

Thuram worked with Jean-Christophe Camus on the cartoon “Notre Histoire” after the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

“I always begin from an interesting anecdote. This time around it is the experience of my son Marcus.
His classmate told him that mathematics is too difficult for black kids. This is the experience of Mila in the narrative. The teacher decides to put in place a game to help children understand the importance of racism. She imagines a kingdom and puts in place discriminatory characters,” Thuram explains.

The game ends up teaching kids not to accept being discriminated against or placed in a position of “superiority.”

The author says the fight against racism is still to be taken seriously in some institutions. “Each time there is a scandal, immediate sensitization campaigns are organised but no serious work is done. The educational environment is the place for questioning and training of citizens.”

The preface of the book has been written by Lionel Messi whom Thuram believes is well known to children and also because people kept telling him (Messi) that he was too small to play football.

Lilian Thuram is a former international French footballer who created his educational foundation against racism in 2008.