Week against racism and anti-Semitism at the University of Montpellier

[Press release] - Published on March 11, 2026 in Press Room, Environmental Issues and Social Responsibility

From March 23 to 27, 2026, the University of Montpellier is organizing a new edition of the week against racism and anti-Semitism.

Through a program combining exhibitions, webinars, conferences, and film screenings, the university reaffirms its commitment to equality, inclusion, and the fight against all forms of discrimination. As the first French university to obtain the "Gender Equality and Diversity" Alliance Label issued by Afnor, UM is continuing its fundamental work to give everyone the keys to understanding, reflection, and action. This year, the week against racism and anti-Semitism invites us to question the mechanisms of racism and anti-Semitism, to reflect on the intertwining of oppressions, and to make visible experiences that are often invisible.

This week's wrestling program at the University of Montpellier (registration required)

University of Montpellier, Triolet Campus

On Monday, March 23, at 12:30 p.m., opening of Hélène Jayet's exhibition "Chin Up!" The project explores curly or frizzy hair as a territory of experimentation, struggle, but also identity affirmation. With their chins raised, the subjects of this mosaic of portraits assert their presence and reclaim their image. A cartography of memory and Afro-descendant pride where generations, cultures, and styles intersect. Open to the public, the exhibition will run from March 23 to April 24. Two guided tours, in the presence of the artist, will take place on Thursday, April 16, and Tuesday, April 21.

On video

On Tuesday, March 24, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Thursday, March 26, from 12:12 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., two webinars will be held to raise awareness about racism and anti-Semitism. Key figures, stereotypes, legal definitions, consequences of this violence, tools for action and response: these sessions will provide essential guidelines for identifying, understanding, preventing, and combating racist situations and discrimination. One session is for students, and one is for staff.

On Wednesday, March 25, from 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., Emilia Roig will give a lecture entitled "Is a world without oppression possible?" Drawing on concrete situations, Emilia Roig, PhD in political science and author, will shed light on the drivers of intersectionality and the dynamics that structure our societies. Through her analysis, she will invite participants to shift their perspective, question their representations, and grasp the deep interconnections between patriarchy and racism, systems that shape our social realities, often behind the scenes. Open to the general public.

University of Montpellier, Richter Campus at the Aimé Schoenig student residence.

On Wednesday, March 25, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., "The Trial of the Century," a biopic by Mick Jackson. The film traces the journey of historian Deborah Lipstadt, a Holocaust specialist, who finds herself sued by David Irving, an extremist academic who denies the reality of the Holocaust. Summoned before the British courts, she is forced to prove the existence of gas chambers to counter the accusations. Faced with an opponent who will stop at nothing, she fights, within the framework of the law, to prevent the dissemination of his Holocaust-denying theories. Open to all audiences.