Designer Fashion Accessories by Cheryl Pegues - A Photoreport

All photos in this post are © Discover Paris!

Cheryl Pegues held her annual Christmas trunk sale of custom-made scarves and earrings last weekend. It was a private show hosted at the home of a long-time friend of Cheryl.

Cheryl Pegues

As usual, the quality and variety of her creations were breathtaking!

Cheryl discussed how she selects her fabrics and demonstrated how she wears her scarves.

Then guests at the show selected items that struck their fancy.

Cheryl answered questions and helped attendees make selections.

Lots of items were purchased.

Cheryl was quite pleased!

For information about purchasing Cheryl's designer accessories, contact her at .

Read about Cheryl in Black Paris Profiles.



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An Evening of Readings Inspired by Tannie Stovall's Book Collection

On the evening of Saturday, April 20th, a lively group assembled at the home of Kathleen Dameron to listen to a series of short readings inspired by the book collection of Tannie Stovall. Kathleen is the guardian of what is now the Tannie Stovall Memorial Library, a collection of ~170 books that Tannie entrusted to Kathleen for safekeeping. His desire was that his books, including those that he authored, be the source of stimulating conversation and the instigators of lively debates on sociopolitical and cultural issues.

Kathleen and Cheryl Pegues co-organized the event and five people read that evening. Each explained why he or she thought the passage selected was appropriate for the event and then proceeded to recite it for the group.

Cheryl Pegues and Kathleen Dameron
© Discover Paris!
Ellen Kountz read from an essay called "Blacks Don't Read: They Are Still Our Slaves." It has become somewhat of an urban legend. Though its source is unknown, it is powerful food for thought.

Ellen showing a photo of Tannie and friends
© Discover Paris!
Curtis Robert Young reminisced about his hometown of Chicago and talked about his son, who worked for the Obama administration, before reading a passage about a community meeting at a church in Chicago from Obama's Dreams from My Father.

Curtis Robert Young
© Discover Paris!
Cheryl selected a passage from the first chapter of The Spook Who Sat by the Door, a novel by Sam Greenlee. The book is a favorite of her current beau and coincidentally is one that Tannie read and loaned to someone. Cheryl donated her copy to the library.

Cheryl standing before the audience
© Discover Paris!
Randy Garrett read from Tannie's last novel, Two Centuries in Two Weeks. He selected a passage that explains why Ralph, the African-American protagonist of the book, has decided to take his own life.

Randy Garrett
© Discover Paris!
Finally, Jake Lamar read from Chester Himes' The Quality of Hurt, fondly remembering how Tannie expressed disdain and disbelief when Jake admitted that he had not read any of Himes' work prior to coming to Paris.

Jake Lamar
© Discover Paris!
After the readings, a scrumptious Indian-Mauritanian buffet was served and the group danced and chatted for the duration of the evening.

Dancing
© Discover Paris!
The Tannie Stovall Memorial Library will eventually become a lending library.

The Library
© Discover Paris!
To learn more, contact Kathleen Dameron at .


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Tannie Stovall, Cheryl Pegues, Ellen Kountz, and Jake Lamar are all featured in the Discover Paris! publication Black Paris Profiles. Click here to learn more about the book.

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Black Paris Profiles™: Cheryl Pegues – Part 2

In Part 1 of Cheryl Pegues’ Black Paris Profile™, I presented Cheryl’s professional life and her love for Paris and the nearby town of Saint Maur des Fossés. Part 2 features her sentiments about the African-American community in Paris, her advice for those seeking to make Paris their home, her practice of Buddhism, and why she considers her life in France to be a success story.

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Cheryl Pegues
© Jean-Pierre Peersman
When I asked Cheryl how important is it to her to be associated with African Americans in Paris, she responded that she can’t put a level of importance on it – “it simply is.” She also had the following to say:

There are some truly fabulous sisters and brothers here in Paris, truly outstanding, and a privilege to know. It takes a while to sift through the fakers and takers and users and parasites and tourists, not to mention the sincerely mistaken and the lost that come to try their luck from America year after year. Americans can be so woefully ignorant about coming over to experience the “dream” that most unwittingly prefer to bring the dream with them, rather than risk an unfamiliar and unromantic version here . . . The people who have been here for a while are very much a part of the place they live in, as much to the benefit of their French hosts as to themselves, and it makes for a nice marriage.

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Black Paris Profiles™ is now available on Kindle.  Only excerpts are available on this blog.

To get your copy of Black Paris Profiles™, click HERE.

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Entrée to Black Paris!™ is a Discover Paris! blog.

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Black Paris Profiles™: Cheryl Pegues – Part 1

Cheryl Pegues has one of the most fascinating stories that I’ve had the pleasure to follow over the years. She has experienced very difficult times personally and professionally in the City of Light (bankruptcy, serious physical and psychological illnesses, theft, heartache…) but has always come back stronger and more determined, and has consequently reached higher heights. Her saga is one of hard-earned success as an American in Paris. Part 1 follows below.

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Cheryl Pegues
© Jean-Pierre Peersman
Cheryl has lived in Paris on and off since 1981. She obtained a “long-stay” visa in 1995, studied at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, and received her certificate in Draping on the Mannequin in July of that year. Changing her status from student to business owner in 1996, she opened a prototype development, pattern making and custom clothing atelier under her own name. Eventually, to make ends meet, she also began teaching English to entertainment professionals part time. Her textile business did not bring her the success that she hoped for, but she continues English training, coaching and consulting in various capacities today.

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Black Paris Profiles™ is now available on Kindle.  Only excerpts are available on this blog.

To get your copy of Black Paris Profiles™, click HERE.

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Entrée to Black Paris!™ is a Discover Paris! blog.

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