Radical History Review Issue 83 (spring 2002): 186–92 Copyright 2001 by MARHO: The Radical Historians’ Organization, Inc. 186 TEACHING RADICAL HISTORY The Colonial Casbah on the Silver Screen: Using Pépé le Moko and The Battle of Algiers to Teach Colonialism, Race, and Globalization in French History Michael G. Vann T eaching history at the University of California, Santa Cruz, I encounter many stu- dents who are aware of (and often very well informed about) issues of social justice, racism, and globalization. However, most of my students do not expect to consider such subjects in a survey of twentieth-century French history. In a class of some thirty students—equally divided between a third history majors, a third French lit- erature or language majors, and a third representing everything from politics to com- puter sciences majors—my syllabus often comes as a shock to them. I present them with a series of texts that foreground intense social conflicts in the narrative of French history. These conflicts include labor activism, gender disputes, and the development and bitter legacy of fascism. My course calls special attention to the histories of colonialism and race, allowing my students to gain insight into French, European, and global issues of race and social justice by studying subjects tradition- ally ignored or marginalized in French history. To teach these subjects, I utilize two films, Pépé Le Moko and the Battle of Algiers, as well as a selection of short readings including a political and theoretical essay by Frantz Fanon, a contemporary detective novel by Didier Daeninckx, and Panivong Norindr’s postcolonial film criticism. 1 13-Vann.cs 2/15/02 1:46 PM Page 186