Physical Traces of African-American Presence in Paris

The first segment of the Discover Paris! presentation called "Black Paris and the Myth of a Colorblind France" discusses the "physical traces" of the African-American presence in Paris. These consist primarily of street signs and plaques around the city.

Perhaps the best known is the plaque that honors Richard Wright at his 6th arrondissement residence on rue Monsieur le Prince.

Richard Wright plaque
© Discover Paris!
Others that are well known include place Josephine Baker in the 14th arrondissement

Place Josephine Baker
© Discover Paris!
and the Josephine Baker pool in the 13th arrondissement.

Josephine Baker pool
© Discover Paris!
A more recent addition is the restaurant Coretta, named after Coretta Scott King and located next door to the Clichy-Batignolles Martin Luther King, Jr. park in the 17th arrondissement.

Coretta Restaurant
© Discover Paris!
The most recent additions consist of two plaques that commemorate artist Beauford Delaney. Both are located in the 14th arrondissement in Montparnasse - Beauford's "old stomping ground."

The first of these plaques was installed at Hôtel Le M on rue de la Gaïté in June 2015. The hotel now occupies the address of the former restaurant Les Mille Colonnes, where Beauford often took meals with friends.

Beauford Delaney plaque at Hôtel Le M
© Discover Paris!
The second was installed at Hôtel Odessa, the hotel where Beauford took lodging on his second day in Paris.

Beauford Delaney plaque at Hôtel Odessa
© Discover Paris!
Both Le M Hôtel and the Hôtel Odessa anticipate welcoming visitors to the exhibition of original Beauford Delaney works entitled Beauford Delaney and Paris: A Breathtaking Evolution. It will be shown at Reid Hall, Columbia Global Centers | Europe Paris in Montparnasse in February 2016.

To learn more about the exhibition, click HERE.

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

57th Anniversary of the 1st International Congress of Negro Writers and Artists

The First International Congress of Negro Writers and Artists convened at the Sorbonne on September 19, 1956 - 57 years ago today. I was reminded of the date because I recently purchased the complete proceedings of the event from Présence Africaine, the bookstore and publishing house that was responsible for organizing the conference.

Proceedings of the 1st International Congress of Negro Writers and Artists
© Discover Paris!
I frequently refer to James Baldwin's report of the proceedings when I take clients to the Sorbonne on my Black Paris after World War II walking tour. He wrote about the congress in his essay "Princes and Powers" and I have always wanted to read an independent source of information about the event. During a recent tour, I noted with delight that there was a book in the window at Présence Africaine (which is also a stop on the Black Paris after WWII tour) containing the proceedings and returned to purchase it at a later time.

Présence Africaine - current façade
© Discover Paris!
Roughly a third of the entries in the book are in English.  Topics range from the tonal structure of Yoruba poetry to a philosophical discussion of segregation and desegregation in the United States. Final resolutions of the congress are presented in French and English. There are also messages at the back of the book in French and English from persons who were unable to attend, including one from Josephine Baker (in French, signed with her married name "Bouillon"). But the presentation that interested me the most was that of Richard Wright. I had long been intrigued by Baldwin's sardonic commentary on it and was looking forward to reading it for myself.

Wright was the last person to give a formal presentation at the Congress and he felt awkward about what he had prepared because things that he learned during the course of the conference inspired a desire to modify his discourse. Because there was no time to do so, he decided to "correct" his paper as he presented it at the conference. Baldwin refers to this as Wright "exposing, in short, his conscience to the conference and asking help of them in his confusion."

Baldwin and Wright Collage*
© Discover Paris!
Wright did just that, saying "...midway in my text, when I start criticizing my own formulations, I hope you would understand what I am trying to do." He proceeds to question several of his own statements, such as thanking "Mr. White Man" for freeing the black, brown, and yellow peoples of the world from the "rot" of their irrational traditions and customs.

Prior to broaching the subject of his discomfort, Wright talked about the absence of women as organizers and presenters at the Congress. He said the following:

— I don't know how many of you have noticed it there have been no women functioning vitally and responsibly upon this platform helping to mold and mobilize our thoughts . . . When and if we hold another conference—and I hope we will—I hope there shall be an effective utilization of Negro womanhood in the world to help us mobilize and pool our forces . . . we cannot afford to ignore one half of our manpower, that is, the force of women and their active collaboration. Black men will not be free until their women are free.

Indeed, among the messages at the back of the book is one addressed to the Congress by "Un Groupe de Femmes Noires" (a group of black women) that emphasizes the vital role that women play in the construction of black nations.

The "Euro-African" dialogue that occurred after the presentation of the final resolutions of the Congress and just before the closing of the conference is also presented in the book. Wright was the only Anglophone invited to comment during this exchange. He expressed his feelings about the event as follows:

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to congratulate the Conference upon the successful termination of its work. I feel that this is a moment in history, a moment that is terminating a five-hundred-year domination of European culture over African culture. There is something that one feels when one is caught up in a historical situation: you are gripped by it, claimed by it and you know that history is in the making. It seems as though at such times an impersonal tide sweeps men up, irrespective of their will, and pushes them on in their direction whether they want it or not. It is irresistible and irreversible and I say "So be it."

*Image of James Baldwin taken by Carl Van Vechten in 1955; image of Richard Wright from the Michel Fabre Collection

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A Paris Vacation

I received this testimonial from Cheryl Adams, a client who came to Paris earlier this month with her sister, Delores. It expresses perfectly what I hope to have you experience by taking an Entrée to Black Paris tour!

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Cheryl Adams, Monique Y. Wells, and Delores Jones
on the "Black Paris after World War II" tour
© Discover Paris!
Just last week I took my life-long dream vacation to Paris, France. To say I had a wonderful time does not do my experience justice!

I, along with my sister Delores, took in all the noted tourist attractions: the Louvre museum, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe, the home of Monet, and Palace Versailles, just to name a few.

My week of excitement culminated with a tour given by Ms. Monique Wells of Entrée to Black Paris. When I learned of my trip, which was a gift from my daughter, also included was information on Entrée to Black Paris. I signed up to receive information Ms. Wells posted on her blog, and for nine months I followed her informative posts. I also read her books – Black Paris Profiles and Paris Reflections: Walks through African-American Paris. I had read and heard stories of black Americans living in Paris and wanted to learn more.

This was not the usual run-of-the-mill tour! This walking tour focused on the lives and accomplishments of Black Americans along with other black expats. Monique’s casual style made for a wonderful stroll through the streets of Paris that other tours did not offer. She was a wealth of knowledge about noted persons such as James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Chester Himes, and Alexandre Dumas. Her stories made for a visual of how black people lived their lives in Paris after WWII. She peppered facts with tidbits of little known information, most quite humorous. If you know anything about the great black writers, poets, artists, performers, and political activist of post WWII, this tour will enhanced your understanding of their lives.

I wish that I had scheduled a longer time for the tour, because I felt that Monique was just getting started. The walk was so intriguing that I had a renewed interest in many of the persons mentioned.

The Entrée to Black Paris tour was the highlight of my dream vacation, so if ever you plan a visit, be sure to include it in your itinerary. On my next trip, I definitely will!

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Brothers in Exile – A Play by Jake Lamar

When I published the Black Paris Profile on Jake Lamar in November 2011, he had already begun work on a play about the friendship/rivalry between Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and Chester Himes in Paris in the 1950s. He was writing it in both English and French and planned to begin “workshopping” it (having actors and a director playing out scenes before a play goes into formal rehearsals) within a year.

Fast forward to 2013…

On February 25th, Jake’s dream was realized when Beaumarchais-SACD – a French association that supports writers and producers of the performing arts – sponsored a reading of Brothers in Exile. Because I love the theater and because it is rare to be able to associate French theater with the African-American presence in Paris, I was determined to attend. I was proud to be present at this historic event!

The evening unfolded in the Salle Jean Tardieu at the Théâtre du Rond Point, near the roundabout where avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt meets the Champs Elysées. The salle (room), which holds 176 persons, was filled to capacity.

Théâtre du Rond Point
© Discover Paris!

A screening of an outstanding French short film (Avant que de Tout Perdre – 30 minutes) was followed by the main attraction, where a cast of three principle actors, a reader, and five additional characters breathed life into Brothers in Exile on stage for the first time.

The Cast
© Discover Paris!

The fictional story revolves around Wright’s death and an official inquiry by the French authorities into Himes’ and Baldwin’s potential involvement. It moves back and forth in time. For this one-time staging, William Nadylam played Richard Wright, Cyrl Guei portrayed James Baldwin, and Alex Descas represented Chester Himes.

William Nadylam as Richard Wright
© Discover Paris!
Cyril Guei as James Baldwin
© Discover Paris!
Alex Descas as Chester Himes
© Discover Paris!
The reading was performed in French. To see French actors interpreting these quintessentially American personas was fascinating! One of my favorite moments during the reading occurred during an exchange between Wright and Himes. Nadylam (Wright) emphasized the syllable “po” in the French word “policier,” which means “crime story.” He was evoking the way in which many African Americans emphasize the syllable “po” when they talk about the police. It was comical cultural reference that was lost on most of the French audience.

Jake had wanted to write a novel about the relationship between Wright and Baldwin since his days in New York. He learned of the confrontation that occurred between the two authors at the Deux Magots café on boulevard Saint Germain des Prés when he was a student at Harvard during the early 80s. In researching his 2001 Washington Post review of the Hazel Rowley biography of Wright, he learned that Chester Himes had been present during this altercation. Later, upon reading the first volume of Chester Himes’ autobiography – The Quality of Hurt – he read Himes’ version of what had transpired. Now Himes would play a role in the novel that he had been envisioning.

Then, on April 30, 2011, it suddenly occurred to him that the novel he wanted to write should be a play. Through his work at the community theater in Bobigny (MC 93), he had learned that the stage provides much more creative freedom than he realized and saw the potential in having the voices of his three protagonists be heard as opposed to simply being read. He created a one-page sketch as the outline for the play and remained faithful to it throughout most of the writing process.

Jake began researching the play in earnest in early summer 2011 and also began the search for financial backing, writing proposals in English and French. This is when he learned of the grants that Beaumarchais-SACD offers to support creators of theater, dance, film, and other performing arts. He submitted his proposal in October 2011 and in February 2012 he learned that his was one of three out of 250 submissions to be accepted for funding!

Having written numerous articles and books, Jake was surprised to find that he never enjoyed writing anything as much as he enjoyed writing Brothers in Exile. He loved writing for Wright, Himes, and Baldwin, inventing circumstances for them but building those circumstances around the information that he learned from reading books by and about these authors. He finished the English version in August 2012 and then began work on the French translation with his wife Dorli. One full year after submitting his proposal to Beaumarchais, he finished the play.

Jake was responsible for finding the director and the actors for the reading. Through personal and professional connections, he engaged the three principal actors and director Pierre Laville. Laville was responsible for casting the remaining actors.

What lies ahead for Brothers in Exile? Jake’s agent has submitted the play to numerous theaters in London, New York, and a couple of additional theaters on the East Coast in the U.S. Jake has personally submitted proposals to theaters in France.

A suivre… To be continued…

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Richard Wright Painting Hangs in Normandy Town Hall

Colleague Julia Browne of Walking the Spirit Tours recently led a group of students from the University of Lausanne to the Normandy town of Ailly to follow the footsteps of Richard Wright. She graciously granted permission for me to reproduce her "Spirit of Black Paris" blog letter, which vividly describes the experience, for you here.

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Many a French masterpiece found life and nurture out somewhere in the French countryside.

Black Paris expats also drank in that country air, let it course through their creativity, and voilà - many an African-American masterpiece came to life beyond Paris, too.

University of Lausanne students at the town hall of Ailly
© Walking the Spirit Tours
In this latest BlogLetter, a group of University of Lausanne students, their brilliant professor Agnieszka Soltysik, and I follow Richard Wright's path to Normandy.

We trod where he lived, we breathed the air that infused his haiku. Then, we left a reminder for locals and for those of you who might go looking for Richard.

Our 1-day visit had several goals. First, to present to the town hall of Ailly a painting that would remind all who passed there of the great American writer who lived among them in the late 1950s. The painting, made by young Paris-born artist Shannon Figuereo, shows Wright as well as an interpretation of his family’s home.

Julia Browne presenting painting of Wright to
Ailly Municipal Councillor Evelyne JUHEL
© Walking the Spirit Tours
It was an emotional ceremony on all sides. Municipal Councillor of Ailly, Mme Eveylne Juhel, was very touched to receive our gift and promised the painting would be displayed in the new wing of the town hall under renovation.

The town administration gave to us a beautiful book on the history of their town, along with a written presentation by its author, local historian Eric Portier.

"You are welcomed and in fact we are proud to meet you, who came in a kind of literary pilgrimage. I hope that the visit will engrave in your heart the gratitude to that man who fought for a better respect of human beings." Eric Portier

We, in turn, were delighted by the reception they so kindly prepared for us. There was not a drop of the local cider nor a crumb of the regional sablé biscuits (butter biscuits) left!

Reception at Ailly town hall
© Walking the Spirit Tours
Next, we visited the grounds of La Folie Muse, the farmhouse where Wright enjoyed playing ‘gentleman farmer’ with his family. It was wonderful to revisit this residence after having seen it first when working as a production assistant on Madison Lacy’s PBS documentary Black Boy in 1994.

Wright farmhouse - our guide and M. Hesloin (r), who knew Wright
© Walking the Spirit Tours
Back on the bus, we followed Wright’s next move - about 15 minutes down the road to the Moulin D’Ande. At the time, this 12th-century mill turned artists retreat allowed writers, artists and musicians to develop their craft in a bucolic, friendly atmosphere.

Moulin d'Andé Cultural Centre
© Walking the Spirit Tours
Today, the cultural centre still carries that mission. And it is still run by the woman who invited Richard Wright after the Sorbonne’s 1956 Negro Writers Conference.

The students, professors and I hung onto every word of Maurice Pons, a French writer also residing at the Moulin d’Andé and friend of Wright. Oh, the stories he told, the pictures he showed!

Author Maurice Pons opening the Moulin d'Andé Book of Memories
© Walking the Spirit Tours

Wright relaxing at the Moulin d'Andé
© Moulin d'Andé Archives
Put This On Your Itinerary
Ailly lies about an hour east of Paris. It's a community of 1052 souls - about the same number at Richard Wright's time. The Aillytiens, as they're called, take great effort to maintain their 'home sweet home' feel of old time French country living. But visitors are warmly welcome! There's even a soft spot for Americans. On the 24th August 1944, American troops liberated the village, as they did many others in Normandy.

A trip down Richard Wright's lane can be arranged by Walking the Spirit tours for individual travelers and for groups. And, if you've got a novel you'd love to write in this peace and calm, or a musical score to finish, it doesn't get much more idyllic than here (and the food's great).

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U.S. Embassy Celebrates Black History Month with Discover Paris!™

For anyone looking for a tour with a warm and knowledgeable guide that goes beyond the usual monuments and landmarks, I highly recommend taking a Discover Paris! tour.

Arcadia Letkemann, TMM Public Outreach Coordinator/Special Projects
American Embassy Paris

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On Saturday, February 12th, fifteen staff members of the U.S. Embassy in Paris celebrated Black History Month by taking a Discover Paris! Entrée to Black Paris™ (ETBP) walk that I created especially for them. It incorporated elements of ETBP’s “Black Pearl Walk” and “Black History in and around the Luxembourg Garden” walk. I was pleased to be able to include several new tidbits of information that I recently uncovered through interviews and research!

The first part of Saturday’s walk focused on the personas of Josephine Baker and Beauford Delaney. We began at Place Josephine Baker in the 14th arrondissement, where I briefly presented Josephine’s legacy of performing, military service and French Resistance activities during WWII, and philanthropy.

At Place Josephine Baker
© Discover Paris!

We then visited the Bobino Theater – site of her last performance run in 1975 – and talked of the last days of her life and her funeral. We stopped near the wall of the Montparnasse cemetery, where I spoke of artist Beauford Delaney and his long-lasting friendship with James Baldwin. We then saw two hotels where Beauford lived during his first years in Paris, and got an unexpected glimpse of a courtyard that preserves the essence of “old Montparnasse.” The city of Paris razed the neighborhood in the 1960s and 70s, implementing an urban renewal project that favored profits over architectural aesthetics and the preservation of the area’s village atmosphere.

We went on to the Carrefour Vavin, where we continued to discuss Beauford and Josephine; for good measure I also offered an anecdote about African-American fighter pilot Eugene Bullard. All of the “Carrefour cafés”– Le Dôme, La Rotonde, Le Select, and La Coupole – have African-American history associated with them.

In front of Le Select
© Discover Paris!

Making our way to the Luxembourg Garden, we stopped briefly while I pointed out the former location of La Boule Blanche – one of the two most famous post-WWI Antillean clubs in Paris. People came here to dance the beguine, which was widely popularized when Josephine Baker included it in one of her dance performances in 1931.

We entered the garden at the southeast corner, where I talked briefly about the working apiary and the espaliered trees that exist there. We then wended our way along the gently curving paths to reach the Statue of Liberty. At the foot of the statue, I discussed the urban legend that claims that the sculptor used a black woman as the model and that the statue was conceived to honor the black soldiers who served during the Civil War.

Statue of Liberty
© Discover Paris!

During the remainder of our time in the garden, I talked about the “mutual admiration society” of Richard Wright and Gertrude Stein, the landscape paintings of Loïs Mailou Jones, and the Loi Taubira – the French law that declares slavery a crime against humanity. We ended our leisurely but eventful stroll at the Fabrice Hyber sculpture that commemorates the abolition of slavery in France.

Le Cri, L'Ecrit
Fabrice Hyber
© Discover Paris!

Arcadia Letkemann, Coordinator of TMM Public Outreach/Special Projects at the Embassy, had the following to say about the tour:

The Discover Paris! Black History Month walking tour, especially prepared for the American Embassy Paris, was a relaxing and informative experience. Don’t be daunted by the length of this tour; two hours went by quickly – especially because the tour was not strenuous and the pace was leisurely.

Monique Wells is a very personable and knowledgeable guide who was both well prepared and flexible; she even threw in information about landmarks, history and traditions that were not specifically geared to African-American history per se, but which enriched our understanding of the larger context that attracted black writers and artists to Paris during the 20th century.

For anyone looking for a tour with a warm and knowledgeable guide that goes beyond the usual monuments and landmarks, I highly recommend taking a Discover Paris! tour.

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

In Memoriam: James Baldwin's Paris

Each month, our Paris Insights newsletter presents the hidden jewels that comprise the "real" Paris – the people and places that are the true heart and soul of the city.
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James Arthur Baldwin
(August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987)
1982 © MDCArchives

James Baldwin and Richard Wright were the two most famous African-American expatriates to have lived in Paris in the post-World War II era. Though they both critically examined social issues in the U.S. and abroad from France, their lives in the French capital were quite dissimilar. Wright was a central figure in the African-American community in Paris, while Baldwin was peripheral to it. Wright achieved fame prior to moving to Paris while Baldwin did so afterward. Wright became increasingly cynical and embittered during his years in Paris, while Baldwin evolved as a writer and a man in embracing aspects of his nationality and sexuality that eluded him in America. And while Wright maintained a self-imposed exile from the U.S. during the civil rights era, Baldwin returned home to experience firsthand those turbulent times and to chronicle them.

Baldwin moved to Paris in the winter of 1948 at the age of 24. Never swayed by the myth of a colorblind France that attracted many African-American expatriates of that time, his life and his writing were profoundly influenced by his experiences there nonetheless. Upon his arrival, he spoke almost no French and had few friends and very little money. His first acquaintances (besides Wright) were white American students and artists. He befriended African students and frequented Arab cafés before he enlarged his circle of African-American acquaintances and wrote essays invoking these encounters to earn money to support both himself and his New York family. He reworked his first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953), in the upper room of the Café de Flore – one of Paris’ most famous literary cafés. And he transformed the ground floor apartment of a French friend into the suffocating abode that he describes in Giovanni’s Room (1956).

Café de Flore
© Discover Paris!

Wright’s Café Tournon crowd overlapped little with Baldwin’s entourage. Baldwin’s friends included painter Beauford Delaney, composer Howard Swanson, dancer Bernard Hassell, and writer Ernest Charles “Dixie” Nimmo. Their favorite nightspots were the Montana on rue Saint-Benoît, Gordon Heath’s L’Abbaye on rue Jacob, and Inez Cavanaugh’s Chez Inez on rue Champollion.

Invitation Card for Gordon Heath’s L’Abbaye

Another preferred spot was Johnny Romero’s Les Nuages on rue Bernard Palissy in Saint Germain des Prés.

Beauford Delaney (left), James Baldwin, Johnny Romero (center), and friend
at Les Nuages

© Discover Paris!

Baldwin’s coverage of the 1st Congress of Black Writers and Artists for Encounter magazine in 1956 was a watershed moment in his career – it inspired him to return to the U.S. to contribute to the struggle for racial equality. He became a passionate and eloquent spokesperson for the movement, roused by the injustices that he witnessed firsthand in his travels throughout the South. He brought this passion back to France, staging a march on the American Embassy in Paris in support of the March on Washington just one week prior to Dr. King’s historic event. He filled the void created by Richard Wright’s untimely demise, achieving renown as the leading African American that the French press sought out for comment on racial issues around the world.

Though Baldwin was often critical of the French in his prose, he frequently depicted their land – and particularly their capital – romantically in his fiction. Giovanni’s Room (1956), Another Country (1962), and Just above My Head (1979) among other works, all feature Paris as a setting. Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Montparnasse, and Les Halles figured prominently in Baldwin’s own life, so it is not surprising that many of his characters find themselves in these localities as they grapple with the issues Baldwin gave them to resolve.

Giovanni’s Room, Another Country, and Just above My Head are perhaps the best tributes that Baldwin left to the City of Light.

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

Remembering Richard Wright

Happy Thanksgiving from Discover Paris!

Each month, our Paris Insights newsletter presents the hidden jewels that comprise the "real" Paris – the people and places that are the true heart and soul of the city. Click here to sign up for our newsletter announcements and to receive our free guide called "Practical Paris”!

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 Richard Wright in Paris living room, 1947
Photo: National Archives

Richard Wright was the "kingpin" of the African-American expatriate writers who came to Paris after the Second World War. He promptly fell in love with the city upon his arrival in 1946, and returned to the U.S. after a few months to make arrangements to move to Paris permanently. He, his wife Ellen, and his daughter Julia returned in 1947. From his new home base in Paris, Wright would continue to write, travel the world, participate in the founding of the literary journal Presence Africaine, and act as speaker and liaison between the American and African delegations at the First International Congress of Negro Writers and Artists. He would end his days in the City of Light on November 28, 1960, at the age of fifty-two.

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Wright’s death, Discover Paris! has created a new edition of its downloadable, self-guided walking tour entitled "Richard Wright’s Paris."  The tour contains descriptive commentary and photographs of the numerous sites that Richard Wright frequented during the ten years that he lived in the Left Bank.  Those taking the tour will learn about his apartment, his favorite cafés and restaurant, his local bookstore, and the Luxembourg Garden - one of the most splendid gardens in Paris - where the Wright family had numerous neighborhood outings.

Plaque honoring Wright at 14, rue Monsieur le Prince

© Discover Paris!

Discover Paris! released the first edition of this tour in 2008, in celebration of the centennial of Wright’s birth.

The latest edition of the walking tour incorporates new text and enlargements of previously included photographs, as well as new photographs that illustrate the walk, a photographic portrait of Wright, a chronology of his life in Paris, and original photos of Père Lachaise Cemetery, his final resting place.  The latter section includes images of the columbarium, where Wright was cremated, and the niche containing his ashes.

As is true for all Discover Paris! walks, "Richard Wright's Paris" includes informed commentary, photographs and illustrations, and a map that highlights the route of the itinerary.  These allow you to navigate the sometimes confusing layout of the city with ease.  We also provide restaurant suggestions, eliminating your fear of selecting a less-than-satisfactory place to lunch or dine. The walk is available in pdf format.

To access the Web page for Discover Paris’ downloadable walking tours, click HERE.

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

Café Tournon

Ayanna and Char across the street from the Café Tournon

© Discover Paris!

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of providing the two lovely ladies pictured above with a private walking tour of the 5th and 6th arrondissements.  Our topic was Black Paris after World War II, and the final point of interest was the Café Tournon (visible in the background).  I talked at some length about the African-American expats who hung out at the Tournon during the walk, so by the time we arrived, Ayanna and Char were ready for a couple of stories that unfolded at the café.  These epitomize the humor and drama that characterized the relationships of the men who comprised the group.

I read a passage from William Gardner Smith's essay "Black Man in Europe" from Return to Black America, which describes the camaraderie of the group.  It included Richard Wright, Ollie Harrington, Chester Himes, and many others.  Smith described Harrington's keen storytelling ability, and spoke of the "raucous laughter that reverberated from the room" when Harrington told a joke.  He indicated that conversation often drifted toward the race problem in the U.S., and whether or not France was any better in this regard.

I then relayed the story of the "Gibson Affair," a tale of conflict, deceit, and accusations of espionage that proves the old adage that "truth is stranger than fiction."  Richard Gibson, a journalist at Agence France Presse (where Smith also worked), and Ollie Harrington had an altercation about Gibson's sublet of Harrington's apartment.  The two argued, and even fought publicly, over this issue.  But the underlying story of a plan to support the Algerian effort in the Franco-Algerian war that went awry, involving Gibson, Harrington, Smith, and others, marked a turning point in the relations among the African American expats of the era.

Café Tournon is well aware of its connection with African-American history in Paris.  Once, a waiter brought over a photo of Duke Ellington and Beauford Delaney seated in the café to a group that I led on a Black Paris walk.

Duke Ellington and Beauford Delaney at the Café Tournon

Photo from Paris Noir by Tyler Stovall

The Tournon's Web site acknowledges this history on a page entitled "Historique," which is complete with photos.  It also mentions the literary group Paris Review, founded by George Plimpton, Peter Matthiessen, Howard L. Humes, and others in 1953, that met regularly at the café.  William Gardner Smith (top row, second from right) and Wilma Howard (bottom row, first left) were members.

1954 Paris Review

Photo from the Wall Street Journal (obtained from the Morgan Library)

The façade of the café has changed a few times over the past ten years, and the interior has been refurbished.  But the "hideous paintings of the Luxembourg Gardens on the walls," described by William Gardner Smith in "Black Man in Europe," are still there!

Café Tournon

© 2001 Discover Paris!

Café Tournon

© 2005 Discover Paris!

Café Tournon

© 2009 Discover Paris!

Café Tournon interior

© 2009 Discover Paris!

Cafe Tournon

18, rue Tournon

75006 Paris

Tel: 01.43.26.16.16

Metro: Odéon (Line 10)

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