Leupold sedar senghor biography channel

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, racial theorist and poet who served as the first president earthly Senegal from 1960 to 1980.

Ideologically an African socialist, Senghor was one of the senior theoreticians of Négritude. He was a proponent of African suavity, black identity, and African authorisation within the framework of French-African ties. He advocated for interpretation extension of full civil add-on political rights for France's Someone territories while arguing that Country Africans would be better found within a federal French re-erect than as independent nation-states.

Senghor became the first president goods independent Senegal. He fell comply with with his long-standing associate Mamadou Dia, who was the central minister of Senegal, arresting him on suspicion of fomenting a-ok coup and imprisoning him hand over 12 years. Senghor established operate authoritarian one-party state in Senegal where all rival political parties were prohibited.

Senghor was leadership founder of the Senegalese Egalitarian Bloc party in 1948. Fair enough was the first African designate as a member of probity Académie française and won picture 1985 International Nonino Prize obligate Italy. Senghor is regarded unwelcoming many as one of integrity most important African intellectuals appreciated the 20th century.

Early years: 1906–28

Léopold Sédar Senghor was dropped on 9 October 1906 count on the city of Joal, fiercely 110 kilometres south of Port, the capital of Senegal. Coronate father, Basile Diogoye Senghor (pronounced: Basile Jogoy Senghor), was spiffy tidy up wealthy peanut merchant^[1] belonging attack the bourgeoisSerer people.^[2][3][4] Basile Senghor was said to be trig man of great means allow owned thousands of cattle cope with vast lands, some of which were given to him by way of his cousin the king adherent Sine.

Gnilane Ndiémé Bakhoum (1861–1948), Senghor's mother, the third old lady of his father, a Moslem with Fula origin who belonged to the Tabor tribe, was born near Djilor to dinky Christian family. She gave family to six children, including join sons.^[2] Senghor's birth certificate states that he was born group 9 October 1906; however, almost is a discrepancy with rule certificate of baptism, which states it occurred on 9 Sage 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] Enthrone surname Senghor is a layout of the Serer words Sène (a Serer surname and goodness name of the Supreme Image in Serer religion called Rog Sene)^[8] and gor or ghor, the etymology of which pump up kor in the Serer power of speech, meaning male or man.

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

At the age of eight, Senghor began his studies in Senegal in the Ngasobil boarding high school of the Fathers of class Holy Spirit.

In 1922, elegance entered a seminary in Port. After being told that churchgoing life was not for him, he attended a secular college. By then, he was by now passionate about French literature. Crystalclear won distinctions in French, Serious, Greek and Algebra. With sovereignty Baccalaureate completed, he was awarded a scholarship to continue emperor studies in France.^[11]

"Sixteen years run through wandering": 1928–1944

In 1928, Senghor sailed from Senegal for France, prelude, in his words, "sixteen geezerhood of wandering."^[12] Starting his post-secondary studies at the Sorbonne, sand quit and went on figure up the Lycée Louis-le-Grand to retain his preparatory course for delivery to the École Normale Supérieure, a grande école.^[1]Henri Queffélec, Parliamentarian Verdier and Georges Pompidou were also studying at this favoured institution.

After failing the right of entry exam, Senghor prepared for surmount grammar Agrégation. He was conj albeit his agrégation in 1935 use his second attempt.^[13]

Academic career

Senghor gradational from the University of Town, where he received the Agrégation in French Grammar.

Subsequently, recognized was designated professor at nobleness universities of Tours and Town, where he taught during loftiness period 1935–45.^[14]

Senghor started his philosophy years at the lycée René-Descartes in Tours; he also instructed at the lycée Marcelin-Berthelot prize open Saint-Maur-des-Fosses near Paris.^[15] He extremely studied linguistics taught by Lilias Homburger at the École pratique des hautes études.

He deliberate with prominent social scientists specified as Marcel Cohen, Marcel Mauss and Paul Rivet (director longed-for the Institut d'ethnologie de Paris). Senghor, along with other the learned of the African diaspora who had come to study guaranteed the colonial capital, coined decency term and conceived the image of "négritude", which was straighten up response to the racism come up for air prevalent in France.

It spoiled the racial slur nègre perform a positively connoted celebration archetypal African culture and character. Excellence idea of négritude informed bawl only Senghor's cultural criticism duct literary work, but also became a guiding principle for rulership political thought in his life as a statesman.^[16]

Military service

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

Natty year later in June 1940, the invading Germans took him prisoner in la Charité-sur-Loire up-to-the-minute Villabon. He was interned attach importance to a succession of camps, ahead finally at Front Stalag 230, in Poitiers. Front Stalag 230 was reserved for colonial horde captured during the war.^[17] According to Senghor, German soldiers necessary to execute him and prestige others on the day they were captured, but they fleeing this fate by yelling Vive la France, vive l'Afrique noire! ("Long live France, long keep body and soul toge Black Africa!").

A French government agent told the soldiers that execution the African prisoners would contempt the Aryan race and description German Army. In total, Senghor spent two years in distinguishable prison camps, where he fagged out most of his time print poems and learning enough Teutonic to read Goethe's poetry show the original.^[18] In 1942, operate was released for medical reasons.^[19]

He resumed his teaching career to the fullest extent a finally remaining involved in the power during the Nazi occupation.^{[citation needed]}

Political career: 1945–1982

Colonial France

Senghor advocated connote African integration within the Country Empire, arguing that independence sustenance small, weak territories would manipulate to the perpetuation of abuse, whereas African empowerment within skilful federal French Empire could turning it for the better.^[20]

Once honesty war was over, Senghor was selected as Dean of prestige Linguistics Department with the École nationale de la France d'Outre-Mer, a position he would pull towards you until Senegal's independence in 1960.^[21] While travelling on a proof trip for his poetry, inaccuracy met the local socialist director, Lamine Guèye, who suggested depart Senghor run for election kind a member of the Assemblée nationale française.

Senghor accepted coupled with became député for the sport of Sénégal-Mauritanie, when colonies were granted the right to skin represented by elected individuals. They took different positions when grandeur train conductors on the Dakar-Niger line went on strike. Guèye voted against the strike, hatred the movement would paralyse probity colony, while Senghor supported authority workers, which gained him unexceptional support among Senegalese.^[22]

During the vendor to write the French Layout of 1946, Senghor pushed cherish the extension of French ethnic group to all French territories.

Brace Senegalese communes had citizenship thanks to 1916 – Senghor argued saunter this should be extended occasion the rest of France's territory.^[23] Senghor argued for a associated model whereby each African zone would govern its own intrinsical affairs, and this federation would be part of a healthier French confederation that run nonnative affairs, defence and development policies.^[24][25] Senghor opposed indigenous nationalism, contention that African territories would become fuller more successfully within a associated model where each territory confidential its "negro-African personality" along extinct French experience and resources.^[26]

Political changes

In 1947, Senghor left the Human Division of the French Tract of the Workers International (SFIO), which had given enormous pecuniary support to the social move.

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

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

Sharptasting became mayor of the seep into of Thiès, Senegal in Nov 1956 and then advisory clergywoman in the Michel Debré's management from 23 July 1959 suggest 19 May 1961. He was also a member of influence commission responsible for drafting greatness Fifth Republic's constitution, general papal nuncio for Senegal, member of dignity Grand Conseil de l'Afrique Occidentale Francaise and member of primacy parliamentary assembly of the Congress of Europe.

In 1964, Senghor published the first volume remind you of a series of five, gentle Liberté. The book contains graceful variety of speeches, essays captain prefaces.^[30]

Senegal

Senghor supported federalism for without delay independent African states, a category of "French Commonwealth",^[31] while employment a degree of French involvement:

In Africa, when children maintain grown up, they leave their parents' hut, and build copperplate hut of their own rough its side.

Believe me, astonishment don't want to leave prestige French compound. We have fit up in it, and dissuade is good to be have your home in it. We simply desire to build our own huts.

— Speech by Senghor, 1957^[32]

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

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

He is the author designate the Senegalese national anthem. Primacy prime minister, Mamadou Dia, was in charge of executing Senegal's long-term development plan, while Senghor was in charge of overseas relations.

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The four men quickly disagreed. In Dec 1962, Mamadou Dia was collar under suspicion of fomenting fastidious coup d'état. He was engaged in prison for 12 length of existence. Following this, Senghor established characteristic authoritarian presidential regime where fulfil rival political parties were suppressed.^[34][35][36] Senghor tightly circumscribed press leeway in Senegal and founded birth state-run newspaper Le Soleil in bad taste 1970.^[37]

On 22 March 1967, Senghor survived an assassination attempt.^[38] Nobleness suspect, Moustapha Lô, pointed government pistol towards the President provision he had participated in depiction sermon of Tabaski, but righteousness gun did not fire.

Lô was sentenced to death make it to treason and executed on 15 June 1967, even though pipe remained unclear if he locked away actually wanted to kill Senghor.^[39]

Following an announcement at the say again of December 1980,^[40] Senghor acquiescent his position at the mean of the year, before interpretation end of his fifth name.

Abdou Diouf replaced him introduction the head of the territory. Under Senghor's presidency, Senegal adoptive a multi-party system (limited border on three: socialist, communist and liberal).^[41] He created a performing tending system. Despite the end pointer official colonialism, the value hegemony Senegalese currency continued to cast doubt on fixed by France, the articulation of learning remained French, see Senghor ruled the country laughableness French political advisors.

Francophonie

He founded the creation of la Francophonie and was elected vice-president bad deal the High Council of dignity Francophonie. In 1982, he was one of the founders surrounding the Association France and growing countries whose objectives were disparagement bring attention to the inducement of developing countries, in influence wake of the changes poignant the latter.^[42]

Global policy

He was lone of the signatories of birth agreement to convene a meeting for drafting a world constitution.^[43][44][45] As a result, for rank first time in human narration, a World Constituent Assembly convened to draft and adopt rank Constitution for the Federation observe Earth.^[46]

Académie française: 1983–2001

Senghor was select a member of the Académie française on 2 June 1983, at the 16th seat neighbourhood he succeeded Antoine de Lévis Mirepoix.

He was the chief African to sit at righteousness Académie.^[19] The entrance ceremony accumulate his honour took place eliminate 29 March 1984, in commanding of French President François Mitterrand. This was considered a very step towards greater openness make a way into the Académie, after the past election of a woman, Subshrub Yourcenar.

In 1993, the ultimate and fifth book of excellence Liberté series was published: Liberté 5: le dialogue des cultures.

Personal life and death

Senghor's first negotiation was to Ginette Éboué (1 March 1923 – 1992),^[47] lassie of Félix Éboué.^[48] They wedded on 9 September 1946 move divorced in 1955.

They locked away two sons, Francis in 1947 and Guy in 1948. Emperor second wife, Colette Hubert [fr] (20 November 1925 – 18 November 2019),^[49] who was spread France, became Senegal's first Be in first place Lady upon independence in 1960. Senghor had three sons mid his two marriages.^[48]

Senghor spent honesty last years of his step with his wife in Verson, near the city of Caen in Normandy, where he athletic on 20 December 2001.

Coronet funeral was held on 29 December 2001 in Dakar. Directorate attending the ceremony included Raymond Forni, president of the Assemblée nationale and Charles Josselin, do up secretary for the minister symbolize foreign affairs, in charge be in the region of the Francophonie. Jacques Chirac (who said, upon hearing of Senghor's death: "Poetry has lost ambush of its masters, Senegal tidy statesman, Africa a visionary plus France a friend")^[50] and Lionel Jospin, respectively president of birth French Republic and the highest minister, did not attend.

Their failure to attend Senghor's sepulture made waves as it was deemed a lack of confession for what the politician esoteric been in his life. Blue blood the gentry analogy was made with character Senegalese Tirailleurs who, after receipt contributed to the liberation lecture France, had to wait solon than forty years to grip an equal pension (in provisos of buying power) to their French counterparts.

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

Legacy

Although a socialist, Senghor avoided say publicly Marxist and anti-Western ideology guarantee had become popular in post-colonial Africa, favouring the maintenance type close ties with France gift the Western world.

Senghor's holding as president was characterised overtake the development of African communism, which was created as phony indigenous alternative to Marxism, plan heavily from the négritude moral. In developing this, he was assisted by Ousmane Tanor Dieng. On 31 December 1980, appease retired in favour of sovereign prime minister, Abdou Diouf.

Politically, Senghor's stamp can also accredit identified today. With regards get to Senegal in particular, his intractable abdication of power to rule successor, Abdou Diouf, led Diouf's peaceful leave from sovereignty as well. Senegal's special delight with France and economic devise are more highly contested, however Senghor's impact on democracy remainder nonetheless.

Senghor managed to hang or hold onto his identity as both keen poet and a politician regular throughout his busy careers despite the fact that both, living by his outlook of achieving equilibrium between competing forces. Whether it was Writer and Africa, poetics and political science, or other disparate parts short vacation his identity, Senghor balanced dignity two.

Literarily, Senghor's influence set-up political thought and poetic build are wide-reaching even through resume our modern day. Senghor's ode endures as the "record have power over an individual sensibility at skilful particular moment in history," capturing the spirit of the Négritude movement at its peak, however also marks a definitive step into the shoes of in literary history.^[52] Senghor's turn a blind eye were exceedingly radical for that time, arguing that Africans could only progress if they ahead a culture distinct and fall from the colonial powers think about it oppressed them, pushing against public thought at the time.

Senghor was deeply influenced by poets from the US such monkey Langston Hughes.^[53] Seat number 16 of the Académie was depressed after the Senegalese poet's kill. He was ultimately replaced beside another former president, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

Honours and awards

Senghor standard several honours in the complete of his life.

He was made Grand-Croix of the Légion d'honneur, Grand-Croix of the l'Ordre national du Mérite, commander a variety of arts and letters. He too received academic palms and high-mindedness Grand Cross of the State-run Order of the Lion. Consummate war exploits earned him righteousness Reconnaissance Franco-alliée Medal of 1939–1945 and the Combattant Cross sustaining 1939–1945.

He received honorary doctorates from thirty-seven universities.

Senghor standard the Commemorative Medal of righteousness 2500th Anniversary of the foundation of the Persian Empire endorse 14 October 1971.^[54]

On 13 Nov 1978, he was created top-notch Knight of the Collar a range of the Order of Isabella birth Catholic of Spain.

Members game the order at the order of Knight and above suffer personal nobility and have probity privilege of adding a aureate heraldic mantle to their coats of arms. Those at birth rank of the Collar additionally receive the official style "His or Her Most Excellent Lord".^[55][56]

That same year, Senghor received high-rise honoris causa from the Custom of Salamanca.

In 1983, recognized was awarded the Dr. Leopold Lucas Prize by the Forming of Tübingen.^[57]

The Senghor French Speech International University, named after him was officially opened in City in 1990.

In 1994, unquestionable was awarded the Lifetime Cessation Award by the African Studies Association; however, there was argumentation about whether he met say publicly standard of contributing "a time record of outstanding scholarship draw African studies and service slam the Africanist community."^[58]Michael Mbabuike, concert-master of the New York Human Studies Association (NYASA), said delay the award also honours those who have worked "to fake the world a better fix for mankind."^[59]

The airport of Port was renamed Aéroport International Léopold Sédar Senghor in 1996, publication his 90th birthday.^[60]

The Passerelle Solférino in Paris was renamed subsequently him in 2006, on representation centenary of his birth.

Acknowledgement

Honorary degrees

Summary of Orders received

Senegalese strong honours

Ribbon bar	Honour
	Grand Master & Collar of the National Fasten of the Lion
	Grand Master & Collar of the National In sequence of Merit

Foreign honours

Poetry

His plan was widely acclaimed, and hub 1978 he was awarded primacy Prix mondial Cino Del Duca.

His poem "A l'appel turn la race de Saba", available in 1936, was inspired near the entry of Italian soldiery in Addis Ababa. In 1948, Senghor compiled and edited spiffy tidy up volume of Francophone poetry dubbed Anthologie de la nouvelle poésie nègre et malgache for which Jean-Paul Sartre wrote an commence, entitled "Orphée Noir" (Black Orpheus).

For his epitaph was spruce up poem he had written, namely:

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

Sur frosty colline au bord du Mamanguedy, près l'oreille du sanctuaire stilbesterol Serpents.

Mais entre 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 ma tombe, et keep upright canons garderont le silence.

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

When I'm dead, my friends, piling me below Shadowy Joal,

On distinction hill, by the bank assiduousness the Mamanguedy, near the cool of Serpents' Sanctuary.

But place fine between the Lion and accustomed Tening-Ndyae.

When I'm dead, my flock, place me beneath Portuguese Joal.

Of stones from the Fort fabricate my tomb, and cannons longing keep quiet.

Two oleanders – snowy and pink – will essence the Signare.

Négritude

Main article: Négritude

With Aimé Césaire and Léon Damas, Senghor created the concept of Négritude, an important intellectual movement walk sought to assert and valorise what they believed to credit to distinctive African characteristics, values, spell aesthetics.

One of these Individual characteristics that Senghor theorised was asserted when he wrote "the Negro has reactions that curb more lived, in the spit that they are more point and concrete expressions of ethics sensation and of the push, and so of the tool itself with all its recent qualities and power." This was a reaction against the too-strong dominance of French culture remark the colonies, and against depiction perception that Africa did band have a culture developed insufficient to stand alongside that admire Europe.

In that respect négritude owes significantly to the innovative work of Leo Frobenius.

Building upon historical research identifying old Egypt with black Africa, Senghor argued that sub-Saharan Africa champion Europe are in fact break free of the same cultural continuum, reaching from Egypt to prototype Greece, through Rome to influence European colonial powers of grandeur modern age.

Négritude was indifferent to no means—as it has take many quarters been perceived—an anti-white racism, but rather emphasised nobility importance of dialogue and recede among different cultures (e.g., Continent, African, Arab, etc.).

A akin concept later developed in Mobutu's Zaire is that of authenticité or Authenticity.

Décalage

In colloquial Sculpturer, the term décalage is spineless to describe jetlag, lag on the other hand a general discrepancy between bend in half things. However, Senghor uses probity term to describe the asymmetry in the African Diaspora. Illustriousness complete phrase he uses psychoanalysis "Il s'agit, en réalité, d'un simple décalage—dans le temps extinguish dans l'espace", meaning that halfway Black Africans and African Americans there exists an inconsistency, both temporally and spatially.

The put on ice element points to the progressive or delaying of a regular or agenda, while the peripheral aspect designates the displacing topmost shifting of an object. Leadership term points to "a direction that refuses to pass walk around when one crosses the water". He asks, how can awe expect any sort of community of interest or intimacy from two populations that diverged over 500 life-span ago?

Works of Senghor

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

  (English tr. by Clive Backwash and John O. Reed, Nocturnes, London: Heinemann Educational, 1969. Person Writers Series 71)

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

See also

References