ABSTRACT
This chapter sheds light on the ways in which African soldiers who served in the French army during the twentieth century have been heroized, de-heroized, and translated into figures which both affirmed and challenged imperialism in the twentieth century. Focusing on how these servicemen were used in advertisements, comics, and film, it argues that popular culture played a crucial role in the global dissemination of African imperial soldiers’ heroism, which was interpreted differently depending on hero makers’ intentions and local contexts. Ultimately, these soldiers of colour were transformed into transcultural symbols of anti-colonialism and decolonization, which calls attention to marginalized groups’ agency in reappropriating and adapting heroic narratives that originated as stereotypical affirmations of racist imperialism.
