Timeline of Negritude
A timeline of precursors to and the development of la Négritude
Introduction | Timeline
Like any literary, cultural, or philosophical movement, Negritude did not exist in a vacuum - there were precursors and situations which helped it along, as well as important milestones along the way. This timeline summarizes the most important events and situations which contributed to the francophone literary movement known as la Négritude. If you have comments, questions, or suggestions, please share them on the forum.
| Year | Event, situation, or publication |
| 1517 | France begins enslaving black Africans |
| 1636 | Martinique colonized by Louis XIII - the first black slaves arrive |
| 1665 | Le Code noir, by Jean-Baptiste Colbert (French chief financial minister) - Rulebook for the treatment of slaves |
| 1789 | French Revolution - Major themes include the rights of man, the issue of slavery. |
| 1804 | Haiti is the first French colony to gain independence |
| 1823 | Ourika, by Mme de Duras (wife of Louis XVIII's chamberlain) - The first French-language novel to address the effects of racism on black people. |
| 1848 | Victor Schoelscher (French under-secretary) abolishes slavery in the colonies |
| 1919 | Harlem Renaissance (US) - Césaire and Damas were greatly inspired by this
valuation of the culture, literature, art, and music of the black world, notably
|
| 1921 | Negrismo (Cuba) - Celebration of black-Cuban music, rhythm, folklore, literature, poetry, and art |
| 1927 | Journal: La Revue Indigène, by Jacques Roumain - Attempt to rediscover a black African authenticity in the Antilles |
| 1930 | Book of poetry: Pigments, by Damas - Sometimes referred to as the manifesto of
Négritude. General theme of demystification: we need to cure the ills of Western society. Some highlights:
|
| 1931 |
The trois pères meet in Paris and begin discussing and dreaming about Négritude. Journal: La Revue du monde noir (The Journal of the Black World), by Paulette Nardal and Dr. Sajoux. In addition to disseminating ideas via the journal, this collaboration led to a kind of club where black writers could meet to discuss related issues. |
| 1932 | Journal: Légitime défense - A single issue of a Marxist, revolutionary, surrealist journal published by a group of Martinican students and immediately suppressed. |
| 1934 | Journal: L'Étudiant noir (The Black Student), by the three fathers - Break down nationalistic barriers among black people; recognize, approach, and unify black people in Africa, France, and the Antilles. This was the first and most important political and cultural journal of la Négritude. |
| 1935 | Birth of la Négritude - Seek out richness and originality, rehabilitate that which had been marginalized. Already independent, Haiti isn't interested in participating. |
| 1938 | Journal: Les Griots, by François Duvalier - Contributions of black African civilization |
| 1939 | Poem: Cahier d'un retour au pays natal (Notebook of a Return to My Native Land), by Césaire - The word Négritude appears for the first time in this poem about being black and living in the Antilles. |
| 1941 | Journal: Tropiques, by Aimé and Suzanne Césaire - Refusal of European culture |
| 1944 |
Gouverneurs de la rosée, by Jacques Roumain - Two basic tenets: 1) Humans are responsible for their own lives - we need to act. 2) Community is more important than self |
| 1946 | Creation of four Départements d'outre-mer
(DOM), in which citizens are citizens
of France - thanks to Aimé Césaire, French National Assembly member. Et Les Chiens se taisent, Césaire |
| 1947 | Journal: Présence africaine, by Alioune Diop, with assistance from Senghor, Césaire, André Gide, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and others. Dissemination of the ideas and words of black writers |
| 1948 | L'Anthologie d'un nouvelle poésie nègre et malgache de langue française (Anthology of a New Negro and Madagascan French-Language Poetry), by Senghor. The preface, Orphée noire (Black Orpheus), was written by Jean-Paul Sartre, who defined Negritude as the "négation de la négation de l'homme noir," and includes a discussion of Négritude issues. This work represents the official birth of black-African literature. |
| 1950 | Novel: Rue Cases Nègres, by Josephe Zobel (see details at 1983) |
| 1952 | Peau noire, masques blancs (Black Skin, White Masks), by Frantz Fanon
|
| 1953 | Essay: Le Discours sur le colonialisme, Césaire
|
| 1956 | 1st Colloquium of Black Arts, in Paris La Lettre à Maurice Thorez (Letter to the Secretary General of the Communist Party), by Césaire - The author's official break with the Communist Party, in his new quest to found a sort of African socialism. |
| 1959 | 2nd Colloquium, in Rome |
| 1960 | Decolonisation of Africa begins |
| 1960s | Criticism of la Négritude begins Césaire shifts his efforts to theater, hoping to be in closer contact with the public. His plays show an orientation toward the future and a stronger political aspect than his earlier work. |
| 1961 | Les Damnés de la Terre (The Wretched of the Earth), by Frantz Fanon,
preface by Sartre
|
| 1963 | Play: La Tragédie du Roi Christophe, by Aimé Césaire |
| 1966 | 3rd Colloquium, in Dakar, at which Senghor's ideas are criticized Une Saison au Congo, Césaire |
| 1968 | Une Tempête (original adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest), by Césaire - The creative force of words: they can change and even remake the world |
| 1983 | Movie: Rue Cases Nègres (Sugar Cane Alley, Black Shack Alley) - written by Josephe Zobel, directed by E. Palcy
|
| 2005 | Aimé Césaire refused to receive Nicolas Sarkozy (then French Interior Minister) in protest of articles 3 and 4 of a law that claimed colonization was a good thing. Césaire did receive him a year later, in return for which Sarkozy renamed Fort-de-France's airport after him. |
| 2008 | Aimé Césaire's life and death are celebrated and mourned, respectively, around the world. |
|
The free, twice-weekly About French newsletter keeps you informed about changes to this site, including new lessons, articles, and forum discussions. Subscribe today!
|
