What's On in Paris for Black History Month 2016

We are on the eve of Black History Month 2016! Here are a few programs and events that are being offered in Paris (in chronological order). Entry for all events is free.

Evenings with an Author: Linda Hervieux, Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day's Black Heroes, at Home and at War

The American Library in Paris has invited journalist and photographer Linda Hervieux to talk about her book about the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion and their role in the Normandy beach landings during World War II. The event will be held on Tuesday, February 2 at 7:30 PM.

For more information, click HERE.


Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color

This groundbreaking exhibition is being shown from February 4-29, 2016. The vernissage (opening) is scheduled for Wednesday, February 3 at 6 PM. Registration is required.

To access the French-language registration page, click HERE.

To access the English-language registration, click HERE.

For a full schedule of events during the exhibition, click HERE.


Black Man Abroad: The Life and Works of James A. Emanuel

The American Library in Paris is mounting an exhibit in honor of the late poet and Paris expatriate, James A. Emanuel. It will open on Tuesday, February 16 and will run until Sunday, April 3, 2016.

For more information, click HERE.


The Roots of American Music

Nicole Taylor
Image from U.S. Embassy invitation to "The Roots of American Culture"
The U.S. Embassy's Cultural Service is hosting a concert called "The Roots of American Music" at the Hôtel Talleyrand on Wednesday, February 17. Soprano Nicole Taylor will be accompanied by Daniel J. Ernst on piano. Admission is by invitation only.

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Brothers In Exile: Three African-American Writers in Paris

To celebrate Black History Month this year, the American Library has mounted an exhibit that features the three most important African-American expatriate writers of the post-World War II era in Paris: Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and Chester Himes.

Triptych from American Library in Paris Web site
Photo credits: Richard Wright, Rue Jacob, Paris, 1949 | Portraits | Todd Webb; Chester Himes, portrait by Carl Van Vechten, 28 Jun 1955; James Baldwin, image from www.autostraddle.com
The name for the exhibit was inspired by the play Brothers in Exile, written by contemporary writer and long-time Paris resident, Jake Lamar. On the evening of February 17, the Library hosted Lamar for a reading from the play and an interview of him conducted by the exhibit's curator, Naida Culshaw.

Jake read to a full house, reincarnating in English what had been presented in French to another packed house at the Théâtre du Rond Point almost a year ago to the day.

Jake Lamar reads from Brothers in Exile
© Discover Paris!
His interview with Naida explored his inspiration for writing the play and the creative process behind it.

Answering an interview question
© Discover Paris!
The display case in which the exhibit is presented consists of nine compartments, seven of which focus on Wright, Baldwin, and Himes. One of them highlights the play, Brothers in Exile. Another contains photos and information about four female writers: Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Terry McMillan.

Chester Himes: Brothers in Exile exhibit
© Discover Paris!

Brothers in Exile: Brothers in Exile exhibit
© Discover Paris!

Women authors: Brothers in Exile exhibit
© Discover Paris!
When asked why she selected "Brothers in Exile" as the topic for this year's Black History Month exhibit, Naida responded:

After curating several exhibits focused on historical experiences of African Americans inside the United States – such as their roles in the civil war, the legendary Negro baseball league, and the many stories of blacks in the Wild West – I was looking for a topic where being both an expat and an African American played a role.

Around that time I became aware of a reading at the American University of Paris featuring Jake Lamar which mentioned his play. It only took reviewing the synopsis of the play to confirm this was the next topic! I contacted Jake and he was open to the idea, so we went from there.

During the interview, Jake was pleased to announce that the radio station France Culture will produce Brothers in Exile as part of its Fiction / Théâtre et Companie series. Laurence Courtois, the literary advisor for Théâtre et Companie, will direct the audio production.

Laurence Courtois and Jake Lamar
© Discover Paris!
The Brothers in Exile exhibit runs through March 22, 2015. The day before it closes, Jake will moderate a literary discussion at the library called "Writers and their Heroes," at which participants will take a close look at protagonists in four seminal novels by Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison and Chester Himes. Space is limited, RSVP required.

For information about past Black History Month events at the American Library, click on the links below.

Black History Month at the American Library
Black History Month 2014 at the American Library

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Black History Month Celebrated at the U.S. Ambassador's Residence

The U. S. State Department in Paris has hosted several events in celebration of Black History Month in Paris over the years. This year, Ambassador Jane D. Hartley opened the Ambassador's residence for a screening of the Claude Ribbe documentary on the first African-American military pilot, Eugene Bullard.

Bullard (1895-1961) was an American expatriate whose life in Paris spanned World War I, the interwar years, and the early part of World War II. He was a boxer, vaudeville performer, drummer, and entrepreneur. He owned and operated night clubs, and even owned an athletic club. As a member of the Foreign Legion, he was wounded in battle at Verdun during World War I and was awarded the Croix de Guerre with a bronze star for heroism. He then became the first ever African-American fighter pilot—training with the French and joining the Lafayette Escadrille, an American flying corps under French command. Despite valorous service, Dr. Edmund Gros of the American Hospital arranged to have him permanently grounded because of Gros’ own race prejudice.

Eugene Bullard and his monkey, Jimmy
The screening was attended largely by U. S. and French military personnel—including the Military Governor of Paris, Hervé Charpentier—as the State Department wanted to make Bullard's story known to the men and women in American and French uniform who are stationed in and around Paris.

Screening attendees at the Ambassador's residence
© Discover Paris!

Commander John Q. Quartey, USN and Chief Warrant Officer Four David Smeigh, USA
© Discover Paris!
Colonel Brendan B. McAloon, the attaché de defense for the U.S. Army, was responsible for organizing the evening. He worked closely with Ambassador Hartley and her team.

Ambassador Jane D. Hartley and Colonel Brendan B. McAloon
© Discover Paris!
Eugene Bullard is a 52-minute TV documentary directed by Claude Ribbe. It was produced by Ortheal, a film and television production studio in Paris, with the participation of the French National Public Television (France 3). Prior to the screening, Ribbe gave a brief introduction of the documentary and his motivation for creating it.

Claude Ribbe, director of Eugene Bullard
© Discover Paris!
Afterward, the Ambassador’s residence resounded with conversations about how touched the attendees were by Bullard's story. Bullard's history was particularly compelling for Michelle M. McAloon, a military pilot who retired from the U.S. Army as a captain and went on to achieve the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Lieutenant Colonel Michelle M. McAloon, USAR, ret. and
Colonel Brendan B. McAloon, USA
© Discover Paris!
Eugene Bullard was released for French television in 2013. An English-language version will be released this year and a feature film is currently in production. Ribbe's hope is that the full-length film will be ready for release in time for the 2017 commemoration of the 100-year anniversary of the entry of the United States into World War I and the creation of the Lafayette Escadrille flying corps.

Watch a trailer for the English-language documentary here: Eugene Bullard

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Buffalo Soldiers Have Their Day in Paris

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the American Library's event "History of the African-American Military Experience." Captain Paul J. Matthews, founder of the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum in Houston, TX, was the speaker.

Captain Paul J. Matthews
© Discover Paris!

Buffalo Soldiers National Museum - title slide of presentation
© Discover Paris!
Captain Matthews founded the museum in 2001 as a means of preserving, promoting, and perpetuating the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers and the African-American men and women who have served in the U.S. military after them. He has been collecting military uniforms, weapons, documents, and other memorabilia for 30 years and continues to search for relics to augment the museum's impressive collection. He told us that the museum presents the African-American military experience from 1770 - 2000, from Crispus Attucks to Colin Powell.

Screenshot of Captain Matthews during video presentation
on the Buffalo Soldiers Museum
© Discover Paris!
The name "Buffalo Soldiers" comes from the Cheyenne Indian warriors who first encountered these proud, black men in blue uniforms. They found that these soldiers resembled the buffalo because of their ferocious fighting spirit and their naturally curly hair and dubbed them "Wild Buffalo."

The group that gathered to hear Captain Matthews' talk filled the library conference room to capacity and was spellbound throughout the entire presentation. We were especially surprised to learn that we could become spiritual descendants of the Buffalo Soldiers and were happy to be inducted into this "club" on the spot! There was a lively question and answer period following the presentation and Captain Matthews made the acquaintance of a couple of attendees who are well versed in African-American history and in the black history of the City of Houston.

Awaiting the arrival of the last attendees
© Discover Paris!

Watching the presentation
© Discover Paris!

Chuck Armstead and Captain Matthews
© Discover Paris!
Captain Matthews was joined by his wife, Bobbie, and their son, Desmond, at the presentation.

Desmond Matthews, Cheryl Ann Bolden, and Barbara Matthews
© Discover Paris!
The family had the opportunity to do plenty of sightseeing with Discover Paris! during their stay - they enjoyed a private, four-hour chauffeured tour of the city and a private, guided Entrée to Black Paris walking tour on and around the Champs Elysées (The Grandest of Avenues) prior to the presentation on Saturday.

Monique, Desmond, Paul, and Bobbie at the Tuileries Garden
© Discover Paris!

Starting the walk
© Discover Paris!
As a native Houstonian, I am pleased to have been the one to bring Captain Matthews and the American Library together for this event! Many thanks to Pauline Lemasson, External Relations Manager for the library, for having coordinated the presentation.

Pauline Lemasson, Captain Paul J. Matthews, and Monique Y. Wells
© Discover Paris!
Buffalo Soldiers National Museum
3816 Caroline
Houston, TX 77004
Telephone: 713-942-8920
Internet: http://buffalosoldiermuseum.com

American Library in Paris
10 Rue du Général Camou
75007 Paris
Telephone: 01 53 59 12 60
Metro: Ecole Militaire (Line 8), RER Pont de l'Alma (Line C)
Internet: http://americanlibraryinparis.org/‎

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Josephine Baker and the Black Aesthetic

The association CAPDIV (Cercle d’Action pour la Promotion de la Diversité [Circle of Action for the Promotion of Diversity]) and the Université des Mondes Noirs (Black Worlds University)* hosted another excellent event last Saturday on the occasion of International Women's Day and in honor of Black History Month. Previous events heralded the contribution of African soldiers fighting in the two World Wars (2011) and paid homage to Angela Davis (2012). This year, Josephine Baker was the focus of an afternoon that was meant to explore the meaning of the Black Aesthetic.

The formula for these events - a musical interlude, a film screening, and a panel discussion - continues to work well. After a brief introduction by CAPDIV president Ferdinand Ezembe, Laetitia Ndiaye warmed up the audience with several songs, including Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On" and a moving rendition of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song."

Ferdinand Ezembe
© Discover Paris!
Laetitia Ndaiye
© Discover Paris!
Next, the French made-for-TV movie Josephine Baker en couleur (Josephine Baker in Color) provided an unusual look at "The Black Pearl". Rare footage of Josephine's performances as well as an interview during which she discusses the adoption of her children made this film a delight to watch. The commentary did not neglect to mention that young Josephine bathed in lemon juice to lighten her skin at the same time that white French women sought to become darker to emulate her. It also includes film of a performance that she did in whiteface.

Josephine Baker in Whiteface
© Discover Paris!
The film set the proverbial stage for a lively debate that began among five panelists and ended with a question and answer period during which several women and men in the audience expressed themselves. The panelists, pictured from left to right below, were:

• Mata Gabin, actress
• Patrick Lozès, pharmacist and former president of CRAN
• Gilette Leuwat, founder of the natural cosmetics firm Institut Gillette Leuwat
• Paul Heutching, journalist and moderator
• Isabelle Mananga Ossey, director of Association Label Beauté Noire

Black Aesthetic Panel
© Discover Paris!
All the panelists spoke of many issues in response to various questions posed by moderator Heutching. Among the numerous sentiments expressed, Mata Gabin spoke of the well-known difficulties that black actresses have in getting non-stereotypical roles and said that she discourages fellow actresses from depigmenting their skin because (aside from the health risks associated with this activity) it will make things even more difficult for talented, dark-skinned actresses to land the roles they seek. Patrick Lozès spoke of his opposition to the Miss Black France beauty pageant held in 2012, comparing it to an effort to launch a black university to counteract inequalities in the current system of higher education in France. Gillette Leuwat stated that black babies are not born with nappy hair - she contends that the natural state of hair in babies of all races is the same at birth and that the use of soaps and shampoos created for white people is what causes black hair to become nappy. Isabelle Mananga Ossey spoke passionately about her mission to have voluntary skin depigmentation recognized as a health hazard by the French authorities and indicated that men as well as women subject themselves to skin whitening.

The abovementioned statements only scratch the surface of what was debated during the event and the audience eagerly joined in once the floor was opened for questions. Even though the weather was picture perfect, the conference room was filled with participants.

Conference Attendees
© Discover Paris!
The discussion was so spirited that the event lasted several minutes longer than scheduled. Afterward, it continued in the main hall over snacks, soft drinks, and wine.

*L’ACSE (Agence National pour la Cohesion Social et l’Egalité des Chances [National Agency for Social Cohesion and Equal Opportunity]), Afrique Conseil (Africa Council), and the mayor’s office of the City of Paris provided support for the event.

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A Five-Star Review for Black Paris Profiles

A couple of people have contacted me to say that they've tried to post their comments about the new release of Black Paris Profiles on Amazon.com and found that the system has not accepted them. If this has happened to you, send me an e-mail message to let me know. I'll be pleased to post them here!

************ 5-star review by Marian Hayes (Yeye Lynvonne)

Marian Hayes
Photo courtesy of Marian Hayes

Black Paris Profiles by Monique Y. Wells, is, for a media person like me, a Press Pass to some of Paris's most prolific artists in all fields and genres. Twenty-four stories told within ninety-four pages , most sharing the same pattern—visiting Paris and fulfilling a soul's craving to return. Wells has showcased a unique mix of American Blacks experiencing what it means to go beyond the fifty states.

Extremely multi-talented, these New Millennium Blacks appear to be Renaissance people channeling the likes of da Vinci in their capacity to master skills in the fields of photography, film making, and visual arts, all the while navigating the world of French culture. Page after page, reading the lives of these expatriates is like hearing a siren's song, beckoning all to join the Soirée!

Black Paris Profiles showcases the Black American French from the view of a 40-year expatriate to a bevy of hip-hop generation young (B)arisians. Reading BPP, at times, seemed like a page from the wave of Black artists who lit up the City of Lights in the Jazz age! My hopes rose higher and higher each time I read how accessible each Black profiled is to the internet. It was refreshing to have Mrs. Wells include the questions of publishing the old standard way or going electronic and D.I.Y. One thing for sure—Black Paris Profiles has fueled my desire to return to France and this time Paris will be, like the Blacks profiled, my beck and call.

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Black History Month 2012 at the American Church in Paris

On February 17, 2012, the American Church in Paris hosted a Black History Month event for the first time in its history: a presentation on African-American pioneers in science and technology by Ellen Kountz.

Ellen Kountz at 2012 Black History Month presentation
© Jean-Marc Cresson
Ellen is a 21-year resident of Paris. She selected the theme of African-American scientists for her talk in part because she wanted to honor the legacy of her father, Dr. Samuel L. Kountz, who excelled at performing kidney transplants. Dr. Kountz was instrumental in advancing the cause of organ donation and transportation in the United States.

Ellen presenting the biography of Dr. Samuel L. Kountz
© Jean-Marc Cresson
Beginning her presentation with a quiz, Ellen asked the audience to select the date (out of four possibilities) that Black History Month began and the person who was responsible for its inception. She then went on to present the biographies of several African Americans from antebellum times to the present that were notably accomplished in science or technology. Some of the persons featured were Benjamin Banneker, Madam C. J. Walker, Granville T. Woods, Mae Jemison, and Norma Merrick Sklarek. The insights and anecdotal information that she shared about each of her subjects were poignant, sometimes ironic, and always inspirational.

Senior Pastor Reverend Scott Herr attended the event and shared a story about an African-American geneticist who is currently a member of the congregation of the American Church. It served as a reminder that often, African Americans in the sciences are working quietly, without fanfare, and are making significant and far-reaching contributions to science and medicine.

As well as addressing the general public on Friday night, Ellen gave her presentation to the Youth Group and the African Fellowship at the American Church. Encouraged by the interest that other organizations have shown in the talk, she is making plans for presentations at the American Library in Paris and the American Library in Nancy during Black History Month in 2013.

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Homage to Angela Davis

Angela Davis
March 28, 2006
Photo by Nick Wiebe
CAPDIV (Cercle d’Action pour la Promotion de la Diversité), a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of diversity in France, is organizing a tribute to Angela Davis for Black History Month 2012. L’Université des Mondes Noirs (the University of Black Worlds), l’ACSE (Agence National pour la Cohesion Social et l’Egalité des Chances [National Agency for Social Cohesion and Equal Opportunity]), the mayor’s office of the City of Paris, and CRAN (Conseil Représentatif des Associations Noires [Representative Council of Black Associations]) are partners in the affair.

The theme of the event is “Black Women and Feminism.” The flier that promotes the tribute indicates that:

For Angela Davis, black feminism considers sexism and racism to be always intertwined. The liberation of black women will liberate everyone, given that it will mean the end of exploitation of the races, sexes, and social classes. Angela Davis wrote a book about women blues singers of the 1920s [Blues Legacies and Black Feminism, Vintage (1999)] who contributed to the creation of working class feminism.

The homage will take place on February 25, 2012, from 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM, including a cocktail at the conclusion of the event. The program consists of a half-hour jazz recital by songstress Laetitia NDiaye, the projection of a film entitled Angela Davis, Une Légende Vivante (Angela Davis, A Living Legend), and a debate on the question of black feminism. The panel for the debate includes Mme Maboula Soumahoro, specialist in African-American studies; M. Louis-Georges Tin, president of CRAN; and M. Paul Heutching, journalist.

Reservations are required. To reserve, contact CAPDIV by e-mail at contact@capdiv.org.

Les Femmes Noires et le Féminisme
Hommage à Angela Yvonne Davis
Black History Month 2012
Maison des Mines
270, rue Saint Jacques
75005 Paris
RER: Luxembourg (Line B)

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