The extraordinary testimony of a daring Caribbean writer-activist, determined to expose injustice and defend the dignity of migrant workers
 
In the 1960s, hundreds of women traveled from French colonies in the West Indies to become domestic workers for white families in France. Lured by the French government with the false promise of economic opportunity, these women instead found themselves subjected to racial discrimination, deplorable living conditions, overwork, and no pay until they “earned back� the cost of the trip to France.

After hearing the shocking stories of Caribbean domestic workers, Françoise Ega took a position as a cleaning woman in wealthy French homes in order to chronicle these abuses. Structured as a collection of unsent letters to the Brazilian writer Carolina Maria de Jesus, Notes to a Black Woman weaves the story of Ega’s experiences in France with her memories of Martinique, her observations on the joys and...]]> Mon, 20 Mar 1978 09:11:38 +0300