Paris is a melting pot of global cultures. A celebration of the art, culture, and people from all over the world. As we explore the beauty of global culture, this article celebrates the presence and contributions of African Americans in Paris.
I warn people that their first visit to Paris will forever change the way they see life; that they will begin to dream in technicolor. For the French, business is a part of life, not a way of life. Art and culture are the main ingredients to the joie d vivre (joy of life) they live.
African American writers such as James Baldwin, Richard Wright, and Chester Himes, felt they could create without the restraints of prejudice and discrimination experienced at home.
Paris continues to entice African American writers, such as Jake Lamar, (The Last Integrationist, Close to the Bone, If Six Were Nine and Rendezvous Eighteenth) and others. Paris is the City that freed their spirits and allowed their talent to explode.
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When in Paris, you are immediately swept away by art, culture, and history. In Paris, you are surrounded by beautiful, centuries-old buildings, monuments, museums, and art. There is theatre, festivals, and music in the streets.
Take a stroll through Paris, and you can visit the Bobino Music Hall where in 1975 Josephine Baker performed her final show. It’s not the same venue, but the history is still there.
Along Montparnasse Boulevard are the restaurants affectionately known as the “four corners” where Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughn, and others would gather after a night of entertaining. They would start at the famous Le Dome a favorite hangout of Jamaican-born poet Claude McKay. As the night grew long, the crowd would move across the street to La Rotonde and Le Select where Chester Himes wrote the novel The Crazy Kill. The evening would end in the wee hours before dawn at La Coupole a favorite with Langston Hughes.
Not far from here you will find the famous cafes in Saint-Germain des Pres, the hub of artistic and literary Paris that expat African Americans would frequent.
You can visit Les Deux Magots, and Café de Flore, where famed writers Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, and Chester Himes would sit and work on masterpieces. You can walk the Luxembourg Gardens where Lois Mailou Jones painted “Jardin du Luxembourg.” On Rue Monsieur-le-Prince, the apartment where Richard Wright lived for nine years is marked by a plaque. Place Josephine Baker, only a few yards from the Bobino was dedicated by the City of Paris in January 2001.
Paris is bursting with the history of the African American experience blending with the beauty and history of Paris. The Arc de Triomphe along the Champs Elysees was the subject of a painting by Henry O. Tanner, (The Arch, 1919). The Theatre Des Champs Elysees is where Josephine Baker made her Paris debut in 1925.
There are a variety of resources available to help you experience Black Paris. For those who prefer to have guided tours of African American History in Paris, there are lots of great guides from which to choose. Julia Browne conducts “Walking the Spirit” (http://www.walkthespirit.com/) tours of the literary and artistic history of Black Paris. She also conducts tours to “Little Africa,” Paris’ African community alive with sights and sounds of our African Heritage. Monique Wells has lived in Paris since 1992 and founded Discover Paris! – now called Entree to Black Paris (https://www.entreetoblackparis.com/entree-to-black-paris) – with her husband, Tom Reeves. They provide guided and self-guided tours in Paris and beyond that celebrate Paris with a focus on food, history, art, and French culture. Thirteen (13) of their private, guided walking tours focus on African diaspora history, culture, and contemporary life. Ricki Stevenson who moved to Paris from Oakland, California twenty-two years ago founded Black Paris Tours, (http://www.blackparistour.com/) Ricki turned her love for Paris and Josephine Baker into a lively, fact-filled tour that brings the past to life.
The City of light comes alive at night. While the dominance of African American musicians created a need for Paris to ensure more French musicians and singers are part of venues, the influence of American Jazz and the presence of powerful and talented African American performers are still part of the scene.
You can still visit places such as Le Cave Hachette where Betty Carter once performed, or L’Alcazar where Duke Ellington celebrated his 70th birthday. In the 1st Arrondisement, The Sunset and Sunside founded in 1983, (https://www.sunset-sunside.com/) are located in the same venue with various music styles and performances. Duc des Lombards https://billetterie.ducdeslombards.com/) is still booking great jazz artists and this historic venue demands a visit. It’s hard to get bad jazz here. In the 10th Arrondisement is the New Morning (https://www.newmorning.com/), whose stage has been graced by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, McCoy Tyner, and Taj Mahal. The New Morning is still the sight for many recordings of live performances such as Stan Getz 1982, “Live in Paris – New Morning” CD.
There is also a crop of fun, new venues opening. The Bklyn (brooklyntoparis.com/), is the creation of an African American expat from Brooklyn, who took his experience working in restaurants from San Francisco to New York and created a perfect atmosphere in the 4th Arrondisement of Paris. And don’t miss a chance to see incredible artists like Sylvia Howard (http://www.sylviahoward.fr/), Linda Lee Hopkins (http://lindaleehopkins.info/), Joan Minor (http://www.joanminor.com/) and Ursuline Kairson http://www.ursulinekairson.com ) all of whom relocated to Paris and made a name for themselves as incredible performing artists in France.
Blue Lion Films has produced a phenomenal documentary entitled Paris Noir: When African Americans Came to Paris (www.africanamericansinparis.com). The film and its companion book share the African American experience in France beginning with WWI.
Paris is a delight to the senses. The museums, shops, parks, and architecture carry you away. The history is so powerful; you can almost see James Baldwin sitting in a café working on a masterpiece. You walk the Champs Elysees, and you can visualize Josephine Baker walking her leopard or hear the sounds of Duke Ellington flowing from a nearby club. The past is alive, but the present is just as enticing. Indulge your senses with a trip to the City of Lights, and you transform your life. (This article has been update to correct errors and omission in previously published information.)
Shelley Bradford Bell is Managing Editor – The Americas, and Director of Global Marketing and Special Events for Global Travel Media. This article is part of a weekly series on Global Dialogues that explores, culture through art. Email Shelley at Shelley@egtmedia.us.com if you have ideas for articles, or want to receive emails on future feature stories.
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