Linda's Blogspot

Several organizations specialize in exploring the history and contemporary life of the African diaspora in Paris.  Africa Diaspora Tours Paris ​Primary Tour Providers ​Entrée to Black Paris ​Focus: Founded by Dr. Monique Y. Wells and Tom Reeves, this organization provides a highly curated, research-driven approach to Black history in Paris. They offer private walking tours covering diverse topics such as the Latin Quarter, the Luxembourg Garden, and the Black presence in art. ​Notable for: Their long-standing academic partnerships and extensive library of self-guided and audio tours, which may align well with your "analog-first" research habits. ​Website: entreetoblackparis.com ​Ricki Stevenson’s Black Paris Tours ​Focus: Established in 1998, these tours offer a comprehensive overview of the African and African American experience in the city. Their "full-day" format includes a mix of walking and bus transit, often concluding in the vibrant Little Africa district (t...

​ Field Documentation: Contributing to Our Shared Knowledge ​Our tour through Paris is an opportunity to move from passive observation to active stewardship. We are inviting all participants to act as field researchers to help strengthen our shared knowledge base. ​1. Content Expansion: Enhancing Existing Narratives ​Many articles on artists and historic neighborhoods suffer from a distance from the source. We want to fill these gaps by: ​ Integrating Context: Look for articles on figures like Beauford Delaney , Ed Clark , or James Baldwin that lack details about their specific Parisian networks. We are looking for nuances—how they interacted with local shopkeepers, how the rhythm of the city shaped their work, and the reality of their daily lives in the 14th arrondissement. ​ Strengthening Community Histories: We will visit sites in areas like Château Rouge to observe the contemporary, lived experiences of these neighborhoods. Help us identify existing articles that could b...

  The Fragile Architecture of Solidarity: James Baldwin at the Sorbonne ​In 1956, the Sorbonne in Paris hosted the First Conference of Negro-African Writers and Artists. It was an unprecedented gathering of intellectuals from across the African diaspora—a meeting of minds tasked with defining the cultural and political future of a post-colonial world. Among the observers was James Baldwin, whose subsequent 1957 essay, "Princes and Powers," serves as both a primary account of the event and a profound meditation on the difficulty of forging a unified global identity. ​For those engaged in the practice of community documentation and the study of long-term cultural transitions, Baldwin’s essay is a vital artifact. It reminds us that collective movements are not merely built on shared goals, but are sustained by the laborious, often uncomfortable process of intellectual translation. ​The "Twixt and Between" Experience ​Baldwin’s central contribution to the discourse...

​ Chester Himes: From American Exile to Parisian Noir Legend ​In the spring of 1953, Chester Himes, a writer who had spent years struggling against the confines of American racism, boarded a ship for Paris. Like many of his contemporaries, Himes found in France not just a place of residence, but a place of intellectual liberation. ​A Life in Exile Himes lived in Europe for nearly two decades, residing "off and on" in Paris while also spending time in the south of France, as well as Germany, Denmark, and England. He eventually left France to settle in Moraira, Spain, in 1969, where he lived until his death in 1984. In total, he spent the final 30 years of his life living between France and Spain. ​The Parisian Breakthrough and Literary Success Himes’ time in Paris was initially defined by financial struggle. It was not until 1957 that his trajectory shifted when he encountered Marcel Duhamel, the editor of the iconic Série noire . Challenged to write a detective novel,...

Paris, France & the Negritude Movement Paris has historically served as a critical intellectual sanctuary and a theoretical laboratory for the African Diaspora. In the 20th century, it was the birthplace of the Négritude movement, the site of the historic 1956 First Congress of Black Writers and Artists, and a refuge for African American literary icons like James Baldwin, Richard Wright, and Chester Himes. ​Today, that intellectual tradition is preserved not just in university history departments, but within active literary spaces, independent think tanks, and historical societies operating in Paris. ​ 1. The Epicenters of Black Intellectual Thought ​If you want to walk into the physical locations where Pan-African and Diasporic theory was—and still is—published and debated, these two institutions are vital: ​ Présence Africaine (Bookstore and Publishing House):  Location: 25 bis rue des Écoles, 75005 Paris (Latin Quarter)   ​Founded in 1947 by Senegalese intellectual...

Saint-Louis, Senegal (Ndar) Saint-Louis, known locally as Ndar, is one of Senegal's most historic and distinctive cities. Located near the mouth of the Senegal River, close to the Mauritanian border, it served as the capital of French Senegal and later French West Africa before the political center shifted to Dakar.  The city is built around three main areas: The historic island district (Ndar) in the Senegal River. The mainland district of Sor. The narrow Atlantic sand peninsula known as the Langue de Barbarie. Que Faire au Sénégal  The Three Parts of Saint-Louis The Island (Ndar) The island contains the historic center, lined with colonial-era buildings, balconies, warehouses, and administrative structures. The city's distinctive architecture and urban layout led to its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.  UNESCO World Heritage Centre  Sor Sor lies on the mainland east of the river and contains residential neighborhoods, markets, schools, and moder...