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Reflections

Jazz club, Paris, c. 1956

*The following excerpted messages are courtesy of Prˇsence Africaine, who devoted a special 1956 issue of their journal, Prˇsence Africain:Revue Culturelle Du Monde Noir, to the 1st International Congress of Black Writers and Artists. These messages were principally sent in the form of letters and other forms of communication are noted otherwise.

The organizers of the Paris Congress invited artists, authors and intellectuals the world over to participate in their historic meeting. The invitees' replies to Présence Africaine—greetings, regrets, congratulations and even poetry—are collected here. Some offer apologies at being unable to attend, others respond with enthusiasm to the event, while still others sought to put the meeting in a political context. Letter, essay or telegram, the well-wishing of these disparate groups and individuals illustrates the far-flung impact of the Congress' message.

LETTER: J.Delange et al

Since "Présence Africaine" kindly sent us an invitation, we are certain that we will not go beyond our rights by stating that this message should express the views of men who not only fully understand the status of Blacks in today's world, but are also able to accurately assess the uniqueness and the great value of their traditional legacy, beyond the many shapes it may assume.

—Jacqueline Delange, Michel Leiris, Alfred Metraux, Denise Paulme, Joseph Tubiana, André Schaeffner, Gilbert Rouget

LETTER: W. E. B. Du Bois:

I am not present at your meeting today because the United States government will not grant me a passport for travel abroad. Any Negro-American who travels abroad today must either not discuss race conditions in the United States or say the sort of thing which our State Department wishes the world to believe. ...It would be a fatal mistake if new Africa becomes the tool and cat's paw of the colonial powers and allows the vast power of the United States to mislead it into investment and exploitation of labor. I trust the black writers of the world will understand this and will set themselves to lead Africa toward the light and not backward toward a new colonialism where hand in hand with Britain, France and the United States, black capital enslaves black labor again.

—W. E. B. Du Bois (New York, 30 August 1956)

LETTER: Roger Bastide

... Whether we like it or not, and despite our willingness to help and our passion for African civilizations, to the extent that part of our soul is captivated by everything African, we remain, alas, men "from the outside." It is incumbent upon you to devise the message which Blacks from all over the world want to convey to the rest of the world today.

—Roger Bastide

LETTER: Claude Lévi-Strauss

After the aristocratic humanism of the Renaissance and bourgeois humanism of the XIXth century, your Congress is proclaiming, for the finite world that our planet has become, the advent of a democratic humanism, which will also be the final one. Every human society must be represented, not just a few. Along with Africa, through your voice, Andean America is claiming its place; Southeast Asia has already secured it. May Melanesia secure it too before its human wealth is destroyed.

There can be no true humanism if it excludes any part of humanity...

Thus, your humanism is democratic, not only in its purpose, but also in its method.

—Claude Lévi-Strauss Vallerangue, 31 August 1956

LETTER: Henri Jean Senac

At a time when oppressed men on all the continents are uniting in the same liberating struggle, this assembly is becoming the symbol of their legitimate demands and their true voice that had been stifled for too long.

True testimony of the vitality of the cultures which today are expressing the will of the people and shaking off the yoke of the exploiters, this Congress is reminding us that without our spiritual values, our freedom would be an illusion.

—Jean Senac, Henri Krea, Keteb Yacine

LETTER: Petar Guberina

...We cannot but be moved and admire the attitude of the great black writers who, despite the threat of lynching and cultural segregation, still refuse to blame the whites as a race for the inhumane way they are treated...

Forced to fight for your physical survival through endless guerrilla wars, you are rising above hatred and shouting your message...

A moral message of love for all races and lands where you have been living for centuries combines with your esthetic message and merges with it to create a single ensemble. The masses of black people dispersed throughout the world and your art speak the same language: the language of African tradition, which is blossoming under the particular circumstances of your work and life, in the middle of a wasteland that your hands will enrich.

—Petar Guberina

LETTER: S.O. Biobaku

I am glad that the initiative of M. Alioune Diop and the « Présence Africaine » in arranging this important congress has met with success and I hope this will be the first of such congresses to be held from time to time. Our task is the common one of unfolding African culture and giving it a new significance within the corpus of world culture. Surely we shall derive inspiration and healthy stimulus and gain increased knowledge by meeting together and discussing our common problems and even criticizing our approach and endeavors!

Speaking both personally and on behalf of the University College, Ibadan, may I say that we would welcome the next congress at Ibadan if it can be arranged to take place during our long vacation from July to September?

—S.O. Biobaku

LETTER: Daniel Guérin

Perhaps you will allow a European writer to suggest going beyond the opposition between Europe and Africa. The so-called European culture is less and less European. Today, the world is one. Written thought crosses borders, either in translation, or in its original form... No longer is our culture specifically French or British. We are now cosmopolitan and, for some of us, internationalist. We feel as much at home in Harlem, Dakar, or Fez as in Paris or London. We are getting closer and closer to a universal culture whose advent may be delayed, although less and less, by the last convulsions of imperialism, colonialism, and racism, and by the last obstacles to the free movement of men and ideas, but is now close at hand.

—Daniel Guérin

LETTER: Joésphine Bouillon

Dear friends,
I have just received your invitation, and I am sad to think that I will not be able to be there for the opening, especially because you know how interested I am in this Congress. Living in Provence is quite pleasant, but it is at times dull, and I feel deprived of many pleasures, including this one.... Please forgive me, for I sincerely regret not being able to be there with you.

Your sister who loves you deeply,

—Joséphine Bouillon

LETTER: Pierre Kaldor

Your congress, flooded in bright lights, will clearly show public opinion the fight for a universal culture that was denied by a colonial system bent on division to preserve its selfish interests.

...In the difficult but passionate for liberty, equality and fraternity among peoples, your congress is a historic event.

To preserve their honor, French democrats—and our Committee alongside them— will ensure that it is not forgotten.

—Pierre Kaldor
Attorney, Paris Court of Justice

LETTER: Picasso

Artists and poets always return to their native land, regardless of their color. A brotherly salute to the Congress of the men of culture of the Black World.

-Picasso
Cannes, 6 August 1956

LETTER: Hubert Deschamps

Some time ago, this is something I mention often, but I think it is necessary, some time ago U.N.E.S.C.O. mentioned a project consisting in writing a History of the World. This project was very well designed and structured, successively reviewing various civilizations. When we reached the end, I stood up and said: "Two things are missing in this description - Black Africa and Oceania." This proves how necessary a congress like yours is, this proves how necessary it is for Africans to prove their presence and their existence.

—Hubert Deschamps
(speech given during the Congress)

LETTER : A Group of Black Women

According to a tenacious legend, the Black woman is just a slave of her husband and her children. A basic knowledge of our society is sufficient to demonstrate how false this assertion is.

Black women exercise moral leadership within their families, a leadership that it would be wrong to ignore at a time when the Black world is reassessing its culture.

Those who are gathered here will not contradict us if we stress the prominent role that Black women have played in their education. Is it possible to think about even a single man of Black culture who has not extolled the Black woman, the Mother, in his writings?

—A Group of Black Women

TELEGRAM: FORT-DE-FRANCE

Enthusiastic greetings first cultural Congress black men stop Present Heart spirit stop Passionately following progress extraordinary event stop Congratulations Présence Africaine stop Convinced new brilliant success for Paris stop.

—Julien Lungfou Rodap Blerald

 

TELEGRAM: PARIS

Yugoslav writers cordially salute Congress and express solidarity and friendship stop Oppose racism and colonialism are convinced that your Congress is important step toward independence equality of rights and collaboration of all the people that is required for progress liberty and dignity of all men.

—Union of Yugoslav Writers

TELEGRAM: TUNIS

Greetings first world Congress black writers stop Wishing great success blossoming black culture.

—French Federation, General Union of Tunisian Students

POEM: Greetings to Black Writers and Artists

Greetings to Black Writers and Artists

...O my brothers ! If our syntax is not
in itself an expression of our freedom,
if our books are still heavy
on the docker's shoulders,
if our voice is not a guiding star
for the railwayman or for the shepherd,
if our poems are not the weapons of Justice
in the hands of our people,
let us be still, then!
Black brothers, Algerian writers
dare to raise their voices while their brothers are falling,
This little flute, from our mountains,
through which liberty rushes,
combines with man's breath
and sings!

—Jean Senac
Paris, 22 Sep. 1956

NOTE: written during the war of independence in Algeria