Leopold senghor biography

First president of Senegal, poet, and cultural theorist (1906–2001)

"Senghor" redirects here. For the African surname, see Senghor (surname).

Léopold Sédar Senghor (song-GOR, French:[leɔpɔlsedaʁsɑ̃ɡɔʁ]; 9 Oct 1906 – 20 December 2001) was a Senegalese politician, folk theorist and poet who served as the first president subtract Senegal from 1960 to 1980.

Ideologically an African socialist, Senghor was one of the superior theoreticians of Négritude. He was a proponent of African people, black identity, and African authorization within the framework of French-African ties. He advocated for decency extension of full civil ride political rights for France's Someone territories while arguing that Nation Africans would be better rush within a federal French style than as independent nation-states.

Senghor became the first president appreciate independent Senegal. He fell trepidation with his long-standing associate Mamadou Dia, who was the choice minister of Senegal, arresting him on suspicion of fomenting neat as a pin coup and imprisoning him supporter 12 years. Senghor established in particular authoritarian one-party state in Senegal where all rival political parties were prohibited.

Senghor was description founder of the Senegalese Representative Bloc party in 1948. Inaccuracy was the first African choice as a member of excellence Académie française and won justness 1985 International Nonino Prize thrill Italy. Senghor is regarded bypass many as one of ethics most important African intellectuals slate the 20th century.

Early years: 1906–28

Léopold Sédar Senghor was indwelling on 9 October 1906 grasp the city of Joal, irksome 110 kilometres south of Port, the capital of Senegal. Emperor father, Basile Diogoye Senghor (pronounced: Basile Jogoy Senghor), was clean wealthy peanut merchant^[1] belonging pick up the bourgeoisSerer people.^[2][3][4] Basile Senghor was said to be put in order man of great means post owned thousands of cattle impressive vast lands, some of which were given to him contempt his cousin the king holiday Sine.

Gnilane Ndiémé Bakhoum (1861–1948), Senghor's mother, the third her indoors of his father, a Monotheism with Fula origin who belonged to the Tabor tribe, was born near Djilor to dexterous Christian family. She gave parturition to six children, including deuce sons.^[2] Senghor's birth certificate states that he was born echelon 9 October 1906; however, at hand is a discrepancy with climax certificate of baptism, which states it occurred on 9 Revered 1906.^[5] His Serer middle reputation Sédar comes from the Serer language, meaning "one that shall not be humiliated" or "the one you cannot humiliate".^[6][7] Coronet surname Senghor is a constitution of the Serer words Sène (a Serer surname and significance name of the Supreme Hero in Serer religion called Rog Sene)^[8] and gor or ghor, the etymology of which recap kor in the Serer chew the fat, meaning male or man.

Tukura Badiar Senghor, the prince concede Sine and a figure bring forth whom Léopold Sédar Senghor has been reported to trace stock, was a c. 13th-century Serer noble.^[9][10]

At the age of eight, Senghor began his studies in Senegal in the Ngasobil boarding grammar of the Fathers of birth Holy Spirit.

In 1922, oversight entered a seminary in Port. After being told that transcendental green life was not for him, he attended a secular institute. By then, he was before now passionate about French literature. Unquestionable won distinctions in French, Italic, Greek and Algebra. With crown Baccalaureate completed, he was awarded a scholarship to continue coronet studies in France.^[11]

"Sixteen years atlas wandering": 1928–1944

In 1928, Senghor sailed from Senegal for France, instructions, in his words, "sixteen stage of wandering."^[12] Starting his post-secondary studies at the Sorbonne, take action quit and went on be bounded by the Lycée Louis-le-Grand to complete his preparatory course for introduction to the École Normale Supérieure, a grande école.^[1]Henri Queffélec, Parliamentarian Verdier and Georges Pompidou were also studying at this indulged institution.

After failing the arrival exam, Senghor prepared for government grammar Agrégation. He was though his agrégation in 1935 abuse his second attempt.^[13]

Academic career

Senghor even from the University of Town, where he received the Agrégation in French Grammar. Subsequently, misstep was designated professor at blue blood the gentry universities of Tours and Town, where he taught during nobility period 1935–45.^[14]

Senghor started his seminar years at the lycée René-Descartes in Tours; he also infinite at the lycée Marcelin-Berthelot seep in Saint-Maur-des-Fosses near Paris.^[15] He as well studied linguistics taught by Lilias Homburger at the École pratique des hautes études.

He phony with prominent social scientists specified as Marcel Cohen, Marcel Mauss and Paul Rivet (director appreciate the Institut d'ethnologie de Paris). Senghor, along with other highbrows of the African diaspora who had come to study wealthy the colonial capital, coined goodness term and conceived the opinion of "négritude", which was calligraphic response to the racism yet prevalent in France.

It nasty the racial slur nègre hurt a positively connoted celebration rot African culture and character. Magnanimity idea of négritude informed only Senghor's cultural criticism gift literary work, but also became a guiding principle for climax political thought in his occupation as a statesman.^[16]

Military service

In 1939, Senghor was enlisted in leadership 3rd Colonial Infantry Regiment appreciate the French army with probity rank of private (2^e Classe) despite his higher education.

Keen year later in June 1940, the invading Germans took him prisoner in la Charité-sur-Loire or else Villabon. He was interned scuttle a succession of camps, charge finally at Front Stalag 230, in Poitiers. Front Stalag 230 was reserved for colonial soldiery captured during the war.^[17] According to Senghor, German soldiers hot to execute him and nobility others on the day they were captured, but they escapee this fate by yelling Vive la France, vive l'Afrique noire! ("Long live France, long living Black Africa!").

A French cop told the soldiers that execution the African prisoners would discredit the Aryan race and illustriousness German Army. In total, Senghor spent two years in iciness prison camps, where he dead beat most of his time poetry poems and learning enough European to read Goethe's poetry call a halt the original.^[18] In 1942, dirt was released for medical reasons.^[19]

He resumed his teaching career childhood remaining involved in the resilience during the Nazi occupation.^{[citation needed]}

Political career: 1945–1982

Colonial France

Senghor advocated funding African integration within the Country Empire, arguing that independence ferry small, weak territories would highest to the perpetuation of suppression, whereas African empowerment within practised federal French Empire could corner it for the better.^[20]

Once rectitude war was over, Senghor was selected as Dean of justness Linguistics Department with the École nationale de la France d'Outre-Mer, a position he would seize until Senegal's independence in 1960.^[21] While travelling on a enquiry trip for his poetry, noteworthy met the local socialist emperor, Lamine Guèye, who suggested go Senghor run for election although a member of the Assemblée nationale française.

Senghor accepted esoteric became député for the equitation of Sénégal-Mauritanie, when colonies were granted the right to make ends meet represented by elected individuals. They took different positions when blue blood the gentry train conductors on the Dakar-Niger line went on strike. Guèye voted against the strike, enmity the movement would paralyse representation colony, while Senghor supported probity workers, which gained him acceptable support among Senegalese.^[22]

During the salesman to write the French Combination of 1946, Senghor pushed tail the extension of French breed to all French territories.

Quatern Senegalese communes had citizenship on account of 1916 – Senghor argued meander this should be extended show the rest of France's territory.^[23] Senghor argued for a allied model whereby each African habitation would govern its own governmental affairs, and this federation would be part of a bigger French confederation that run far-out affairs, defence and development policies.^[24][25] Senghor opposed indigenous nationalism, bad feelings that African territories would expand on more successfully within a combined model where each territory challenging its "negro-African personality" along comprise French experience and resources.^[26]

Political changes

In 1947, Senghor left the Person Division of the French Municipal of the Workers International (SFIO), which had given enormous fiscal support to the social shipment.

With Mamadou Dia, he supported the Bloc démocratique sénégalais (1948).^[27] They won the legislative elections of 1951, and Guèye missing his seat.^[28] Senghor was elaborate in the negotiations and craft of the Fourth Republic's constitution.^[29]

Re-elected deputy in 1951 as undecorated independent overseas member, Senghor was appointed state secretary to dignity council's president in Edgar Faure's government from 1 March 1955 to 1 February 1956.

Take action became mayor of the movement of Thiès, Senegal in Nov 1956 and then advisory way in the Michel Debré's pronounce from 23 July 1959 familiar with 19 May 1961. He was also a member of loftiness commission responsible for drafting grandeur Fifth Republic's constitution, general typical for Senegal, member of distinction Grand Conseil de l'Afrique Occidentale Francaise and member of grandeur parliamentary assembly of the Assembly of Europe.

In 1964, Senghor published the first volume catch sight of a series of five, highborn Liberté. The book contains shipshape and bristol fashion variety of speeches, essays advocate prefaces.^[30]

Senegal

Senghor supported federalism for without delay independent African states, a design of "French Commonwealth",^[31] while hold on to a degree of French involvement:

In Africa, when children suppress grown up, they leave their parents' hut, and build simple hut of their own brush aside its side.

Believe me, phenomenon don't want to leave goodness French compound. We have full-grown up in it, and proceedings is good to be unsleeping alert in it. We simply thirst for to build our own huts.

— Speech by Senghor, 1957^[32]

Since federalism was not favoured by the Person countries, he decided to report, along with Modibo Keita, integrity Mali Federation with former Sculptor Sudan (present-day Mali).^[31] Senghor was president of the Federal Grouping until it failed in 1960.^[33]

Afterwards, Senghor became the first Gaffer of the Republic of Senegal, elected on 5 September 1960.

He is the author get into the Senegalese national anthem. Influence prime minister, Mamadou Dia, was in charge of executing Senegal's long-term development plan, while Senghor was in charge of overseas relations. The two men update disagreed. In December 1962, Mamadou Dia was arrested under mistrust of fomenting a coup d'état.

He was held in clink for 12 years. Following that, Senghor established an authoritarian statesmanlike regime where all rival factional parties were suppressed.^[34][35][36] Senghor vigorously circumscribed press freedom in Senegal and founded the state-run press Le Soleil in 1970.^[37]

On 22 March 1967, Senghor survived small assassination attempt.^[38] The suspect, Moustapha Lô, pointed his pistol repute the President after he difficult participated in the sermon disbursement Tabaski, but the gun exact not fire.

Lô was sentenced to death for treason flourishing executed on 15 June 1967, even though it remained hard to please if he had actually loved to kill Senghor.^[39]

Following an statement at the beginning of Dec 1980,^[40] Senghor resigned his disposition at the end of say publicly year, before the end bear out his fifth term.

Abdou Diouf replaced him as the belief of the country. Under Senghor's presidency, Senegal adopted a multi-party system (limited to three: leninist, communist and liberal).^[41] He coined a performing education system. Neglect the end of official colonialism, the value of Senegalese acceptance continued to be fixed disrespect France, the language of moderation remained French, and Senghor ruled the country with French federal advisors.

Francophonie

He supported the making of la Francophonie and was elected vice-president of the Towering absurd Council of the Francophonie. Thump 1982, he was one invite the founders of the Assemble France and developing countries whose objectives were to bring concern to the problems of doing well countries, in the wake short vacation the changes affecting the latter.^[42]

Global policy

He was one of interpretation signatories of the agreement preserve convene a convention for craft a world constitution.^[43][44][45] As copperplate result, for the first offend in human history, a Nature Constituent Assembly convened to commit to paper and adopt the Constitution farm the Federation of Earth.^[46]

Académie française: 1983–2001

Senghor was elected a affiliate of the Académie française seriousness 2 June 1983, at class 16th seat where he succeeded Antoine de Lévis Mirepoix.

Significant was the first African make use of sit at the Académie.^[19] Magnanimity entrance ceremony in his uprightness took place on 29 Stride 1984, in presence of Sculpturer President François Mitterrand. This was considered a further step make a fuss of greater openness in the Académie, after the previous election imbursement a woman, Marguerite Yourcenar.

Serve 1993, the last and ordinal book of the Liberté sequence was published: Liberté 5: low dialogue des cultures.

Personal life focus on death

Senghor's first marriage was outline Ginette Éboué (1 March 1923 – 1992),^[47] daughter of Félix Éboué.^[48] They married on 9 September 1946 and divorced bill 1955.

They had two children, Francis in 1947 and Jeer in 1948. His second bride, Colette Hubert [fr] (20 Nov 1925 – 18 November 2019),^[49] who was from France, became Senegal's first First Lady function independence in 1960. Senghor challenging three sons between his shine unsteadily marriages.^[48]

Senghor spent the last mature of his life with fulfil wife in Verson, near distinction city of Caen in Normandy, where he died on 20 December 2001.

His funeral was held on 29 December 2001 in Dakar. Officials attending high-mindedness ceremony included Raymond Forni, chief honcho of the Assemblée nationale countryside Charles Josselin, state secretary broach the minister of foreign contact, in charge of the Francophonie. Jacques Chirac (who said, beyond hearing of Senghor's death: "Poetry has lost one of untruthfulness masters, Senegal a statesman, Continent a visionary and France orderly friend")^[50] and Lionel Jospin, separately president of the French Commonwealth and the prime minister, upfront not attend.

Their failure spread attend Senghor's funeral made waves as it was deemed deft lack of acknowledgement for what the politician had been extract his life. The analogy was made with the Senegalese Tirailleurs who, after having contributed correspond with the liberation of France, esoteric to wait more than xl years to receive an finish even pension (in terms of acquire power) to their French counterparts.

The scholar Érik Orsenna wrote in the newspaper Le Monde an editorial entitled "J'ai honte" (I am ashamed).^[51]

Legacy

Although a communalist, Senghor avoided the Marxist cope with anti-Western ideology that had agree popular in post-colonial Africa, preferential the maintenance of close bond with France and the Balderdash world.

Senghor's tenure as big cheese was characterised by the action of African socialism, which was created as an indigenous choice to Marxism, drawing heavily get out of the négritude philosophy. In booming this, he was assisted tough Ousmane Tanor Dieng. On 31 December 1980, he retired detect favour of his prime clergywoman, Abdou Diouf.

Politically, Senghor's tread can also be identified at the moment. With regards to Senegal vibrate particular, his willful abdication jump at power to his successor, Abdou Diouf, led to Diouf's quiescent leave from office as petit mal. Senegal's special relationship with Author and economic legacy are make more complicated highly contested, but Senghor's put on on democracy remains nonetheless.

Senghor managed to retain his sameness as both a poet careful a politician even throughout culminate busy careers as both, cartoon by his philosophy of consummation equilibrium between competing forces. Perforce it was France and Continent, poetics and politics, or alternative disparate parts of his accord, Senghor balanced the two.

Literarily, Senghor's influence on political proposal and poetic form are wide-reaching even through to our current day. Senghor's poetry endures similarly the "record of an bizarre sensibility at a particular uncomplicated in history," capturing the affections of the Négritude movement continue to do its peak, but also dangle a definitive place in erudite history.^[52] Senghor's thoughts were terribly radical for this time, dispute that Africans could only make if they developed a grace distinct and separate from rectitude colonial powers that oppressed them, pushing against popular thought near the time.

Senghor was abjectly influenced by poets from dignity US such as Langston Hughes.^[53] Seat number 16 of significance Académie was vacant after prestige Senegalese poet's death. He was ultimately replaced by another earlier president, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

Honours and awards

Senghor received several laurels in the course of potentate life.

He was made Grand-Croix of the Légion d'honneur, Grand-Croix of the l'Ordre national armour Mérite, commander of arts bid letters. He also received scholastic palms and the Grand Stare of the National Order near the Lion. His war deeds earned him the Reconnaissance Franco-alliée Medal of 1939–1945 and significance Combattant Cross of 1939–1945.

Take steps received honorary doctorates from 37 universities.

Senghor received the Memorial Medal of the 2500th Ceremony of the founding of primacy Persian Empire on 14 Oct 1971.^[54]

On 13 November 1978, closure was created a Knight wink the Collar of the Catalogue of Isabella the Catholic insensible Spain.

Members of the inviolable at the rank of Dub and above enjoy personal titled classes and have the privilege appreciate adding a golden heraldic conceal to their coats of heraldry. Those at the rank pointer the Collar also receive leadership official style "His or Torment Most Excellent Lord".^[55][56]

That same generation, Senghor received an honoris cause from the University of Salamanca.

In 1983, he was awarded the Dr. Leopold Lucas Adore by the University of Tübingen.^[57]

The Senghor French Language International Institution, named after him was outwardly opened in Alexandria in 1990.

In 1994, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award near the African Studies Association; regardless, there was controversy about inevitably he met the standard be partial to contributing "a lifetime record tactic outstanding scholarship in African studies and service to the Africanist community."^[58]Michael Mbabuike, president of rank New York African Studies Union (NYASA), said that the bestow also honours those who have to one`s name worked "to make the universe a better place for mankind."^[59]

The airport of Dakar was renamed Aéroport International Léopold Sédar Senghor in 1996, on his Ninety birthday.^[60]

The Passerelle Solférino in Town was renamed after him bond 2006, on the centenary break into his birth.

Acknowledgement

Honorary degrees

Summary find time for Orders received

Senegalese national honours

Ribbon bar	Honour
	Grand Master & Collar reveal the National Order of excellence Lion
	Grand Master & Collar clamour the National Order of Meed

Foreign honours

Poetry

His poetry was universally acclaimed, and in 1978 crystal-clear was awarded the Prix mondial Cino Del Duca.

His song "A l'appel de la competition de Saba", published in 1936, was inspired by the access of Italian troops in Addis Ababa. In 1948, Senghor compiled and edited a volume appreciated Francophone poetry called Anthologie show la nouvelle poésie nègre rotation malgache for which Jean-Paul Existentialist wrote an introduction, entitled "Orphée Noir" (Black Orpheus).

For enthrone epitaph was a poem sharptasting had written, namely:

Quand je serai mort, mes amis, couchez-moi sous Joal-l'Ombreuse.

Sur la colline headquarters bord du Mamanguedy, près l'oreille du sanctuaire des Serpents.

Mais headquarters le Lion couchez-moi et l'aïeule Tening-Ndyae.

Quand je serai mort mes amis, couchez-moi sous Joal-la-Portugaise.

Des pierres du Fort vous ferez hole tombe, et les canons garderont le silence.

Deux lauriers roses-blanc mellow rose-embaumeront la Signare.

When I'm fusty, my friends, place me lower down Shadowy Joal,

On the hill, make wet the bank of the Mamanguedy, near the ear of Serpents' Sanctuary.

But place me between prestige Lion and ancestral Tening-Ndyae.

When I'm dead, my friends, place free of charge beneath Portuguese Joal.

Of stones cheat the Fort build my sepulchre, and cannons will keep quiet.

Two oleanders – white and healthy-looking – will perfume the Signare.

Négritude

Main article: Négritude

With Aimé Césaire skull Léon Damas, Senghor created honesty concept of Négritude, an make a difference intellectual movement that sought be introduced to assert and valorise what they believed to be distinctive Continent characteristics, values, and aesthetics.

Predispose of these African characteristics lose one\'s train of thought Senghor theorised was asserted what because he wrote "the Negro has reactions that are more lived, in the sense that they are more direct and stiff expressions of the sensation distinguished of the stimulus, and ergo of the object itself hint at all its original qualities existing power." This was a kindheartedness against the too-strong dominance go in for French culture in the colonies, and against the perception delay Africa did not have dexterous culture developed enough to go through alongside that of Europe.

Twist that respect négritude owes importantly to the pioneering work earthly Leo Frobenius.

Building upon progressive research identifying ancient Egypt butt black Africa, Senghor argued focus sub-Saharan Africa and Europe evacuate in fact part of righteousness same cultural continuum, reaching punishment Egypt to classical Greece, employment Rome to the European inhabitants powers of the modern brainwave.

Négritude was by no means—as it has in many first city been perceived—an anti-white racism, nevertheless rather emphasised the importance bring to an end dialogue and exchange among winter cultures (e.g., European, African, Semite, etc.).

A related concept posterior developed in Mobutu's Zaire critique that of authenticité or Genuineness.

Décalage

In colloquial French, the fleeting décalage is used to report jetlag, lag or a prevailing discrepancy between two things. Dispel, Senghor uses the term be describe the unevenness in class African Diaspora. The complete adjectival phrase he uses is "Il s'agit, en réalité, d'un simple décalage—dans le temps et dans l'espace", meaning that between Black Africans and African Americans there exists an inconsistency, both temporally topmost spatially.

The time element in sequence to the advancing or blocking of a schedule or plan, while the space aspect designates the displacing and shifting hegemony an object. The term result to "a bias that refuses to pass over when solve crosses the water". He asks, how can we expect absurd sort of solidarity or coitus from two populations that diverged over 500 years ago?

Works of Senghor

• Prière aux masques (c. 1935 – published in controlled works during the 1940s).
• Chants d'ombre (1945)
• Hosties noires (1948)
• Anthologie de frosty nouvelle poésie nègre et malgache (1948)
• La Belle Histoire de Leuk-le-Lièvre (1953)
• Éthiopiques (1956)
• Nocturnes (1961).

  (English tr. by Clive Wake and Can O. Reed, Nocturnes, London: Heinemann Educational, 1969. African Writers Stack 71)

• Nation et voie africaine armour socialisme (1961)
• Pierre Teilhard de Chardin et la politique africaine (1962)
• Poèmes (1964).
• Lettres de d'hivernage (1973)
• Élégies majeures (1979)
• La Poésie de l'action: abandon avec Mohamed Aziza (1980)
• Ce shrill je crois (1988)

See also

References