Al Sharpton To Travel To Paris After Jean-Paul Guerlain's Racial Remarks

The President of the French Representative Council of Black Associations has met with Reverend Al Sharpton after Jean-Paul Guerlain, the former perfumer for the Guerlain fragrance house, used a racial epithet on television, WWD reports. The council has also slammed Guerlain's parent company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton for its lack of response after Guerlain's comments.

Patrick Lozès, president of the council, told WWD, "It has been six days since Mr. Guerlain made these comments, and for six long days LVMH has not moved to distance itself from them." Lozès also mentioned that he talked about the topic with Sharpton, who will travel to Paris in early November.

Lozès added, "All of the major civil rights leaders told me: 'This is not the image we have of France.'"

Last Friday, Jean-Paul Guerlain used a racial epithet on French TV while discussing the making of his fragrance Samsara, saying:

"One day I told her -- and I still called her Madame -- 'What would seduce you if one was to make a perfume for you?' and she told me, 'I love jasmine, rose and sandalwood.' And for once I started working like a [racial epithet]. I don't know if [racial epithet] ever worked that hard."

Jean-Paul Guerlain later apologized via a statement reading, "My words do not reflect in any way my profound thoughts but are due to an inopportune misspeaking which I vividly regret." And the Guerlain brand was quick to point out that he retired from the company in 2002 and hasn't been a shareholder since 1996.

On Wednesday, the Guerlain house released another statement. According to WWD:

The company asserted that Guerlain's comments were "intolerable" and went against the "culture, values, and ethics practiced by the enterprise, which promotes the diversity of talents of all origins."

The Association of United African Nations will hold a silent march outside Guerlain's Champs-Elysées store on Saturday and has been vocal about customers boycotting the label's products.

Comments

[Louis Freely]

04:55 PM on 10/26/2010

And complaining about a elderly French millionaire who spouted the n-word on the other side of the Atlantic is going to help problems in the African-American community how?

[eddie10]

10:00 PM on 11/04/2010

Because racism affects people of color all over the world. Remember that black people are all over the world.

[dovelove]

08:26 PM on 10/25/2010

He's getting his hair done.

[angrymanspokane]

07:09 PM on 10/25/2010

Now Al is becomming an international annoyance - go get em'.. Pretty crude and stupid remarks though, I've been to Paris many times, and each time I am amazed at the general overall rudness and imagined superiority of most of the people I came into contact with.

[chiodo08]

03:34 PM on 10/25/2010

dude?...

[tangelan]

12:47 AM on 10/25/2010

Taking it to the international streets! Go Mr. Sharpton!

[Rallaa]

05:53 PM on 10/24/2010

Darn it, Samsara was one of my all time favorite perfumes back in the day.

[tjpw0850]

05:24 PM on 10/25/2010

....mine too untill now.

[Bigleague]

12:26 PM on 10/24/2010

Al Sharpton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson have been rather absent in their own country lately.
Pay more attention to what things are going on at home especially this election cycle!

[PoliSci2008]

03:50 PM on 10/25/2010

Trust me. The AUAN and France's CBA "invited" Rev Sharpton, including paid travel, board, and speaking fee. This is no slam on Rev Sharpton, this is how it generally works, otherwise, Rev Sharpton would be broke financially.

[Lozange]

12:00 PM on 10/24/2010

It'll be two worlds colliding. On the one hand, you have the self-flagellating America whose practice of slavery goes back to Europeans, namely Dutch and English who traded with African slave mongers before America even existed, and on the other side, an old elitist, a French version of the bumbling Prince Philip, who hasn't brought his use of the French vernacular up to the times. In passing, Negre was widely accepted as an accurate reference to the most common black tribe known and in itself is not considered derogatory. Its equivalent is Negro. When Guerlain says he worked as hard if not harder than a Negro, he's saying he worked at his hardest.

[ladydragon]

07:58 AM on 10/25/2010

Lozange: you can try to clean that up and explain it away all you want, it's like putting a silk dress on a pig; it's still a pig, it ain't gonna work. African Americans know exactly what context this man meant when he used that word, there are millions of words in the atmosphere but he choose to use that one so now he owns what he said. Al Sharpton does not need to address every ignorant statement that caucasions make, he especially doesn't need to go to France, they hate all americans anyway, makes no differnce what color you are, they just don't care for americans. The N-word is universal, when I was stationed in Italy I heard Sicilians call other Italians (groups they don't like) that word or something close to it. I for one could care less about what this man is saying to begin with, I don't buy anything with his name on it anyway.

[rellybois]

11:57 AM on 10/24/2010

Maybe the great Rev. Sharpton should try focusing on black unemployment, crime, education instead of showing up for the photo op every time someone says a bad word or a gangbanger is treated too harshly by the police. He is pathetic and has bastardized the spirit of the civil rights movement for personal gain.

[valeskas]

10:12 AM on 10/24/2010

All he wants to do is see Paris, because that man Guerlain is rich and does not care.

[deleweye]

08:45 PM on 10/23/2010

True dedication - ready to fly to the ends of the earth to confront an over-the-hill French perfume maker (he couldn't go until November because the Ritz is booked up).

[americancolonyinhell]

01:06 PM on 10/23/2010

Before one embarks on these kinds of missions, one ought to consider whether or not anybody cares.

[tangelan]

12:44 AM on 10/25/2010

I care if someone uses that kind of language.

[americancolonyinhell]

12:36 PM on 10/25/2010

So, every time somebody uses the N word, it should turn into an international incident--even if the offender has apologized profusely?

[loosebowel]

12:19 PM on 10/23/2010

24 hours after this article and there's less than 100 comments here. Says a lot about 'ol Al, doesn't it.

[longtalldrink]

04:28 PM on 10/23/2010

No, I think it says more about Huff Post placing this article in the "Style" section...this is kinda the last place a person concerned with Civil/Human rights would go for information. They would usually go to the "Political" section. "Ol' Al" as you like to call him is quite popular when placed in the proper section.

[born 2b different]

11:41 AM on 10/24/2010

x2

[MrsFonebone]

09:15 AM on 10/23/2010

Al Sharpton--maybe instead of attacking people you disagree with--and muscling your way back into the spotlight as a "professional angry man" you might turn your criticism and corrective attention to problems of the people you claim to represent--why not challenge gangs? Or missing parents? Or poverty? Or jobs? Or drugs? Why not do that for all communities? Isn't that more important, more life and death than what a rich French man says or a word he uses? .

[Spikepine]

11:50 AM on 10/23/2010

I don't know how to fan you, but I totally agree with you. I am sick of black people getting offended at someone using the n-word, but sit around watching young black men drop out of school, rob, murder and commit all kinds of sins. Young black women are having babies one after the other. These young people need the attention from black leaders that they are giving to the n-word. Get over the n-word as offensive enough to cause us to forget about the real problems in our communities. Yes, I am black, a real black woman, who spends her time helping people and not worrying about who is using the n-word. It is just a word, it is not a bullet; it is not killing us or robbing us; it is not causing our children to drop out of school. It is not the cause of crackheads in our communities nor does it cause prostitution of our young. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson need to start focusing on our real enemy which is SELF HATE. God bless America.

[loosebowel]

12:21 PM on 10/23/2010

Spikepine, you and I need to get together. There's a lot to talk about.

[longtalldrink]

04:33 PM on 10/23/2010

I would think that "SELF HATE" would describe you, who do not get offended by the "N" word. This French man saw the word as an insult and used the word for that reason. Rev. Al, does all sorts of things for communities and drop outs and crack heads, AND he is ALSO doing something about the "N" word...you should too, and stop getting so "sick" of black people getting offended...black people should get offended.

[loosebowel]

07:00 AM on 10/23/2010

Anybody who's been around long enough is familiar with Al Sharpton's tactics. All you supporters, please tell me how Al Sharpton makes a living? And he is also a pastor? What does that tell you?