Leupold sedar senghor biography template

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

Ideologically an African socialist, Senghor was one of the bigger theoreticians of Négritude. He was a proponent of African good breeding, black identity, and African authorisation within the framework of French-African ties. He advocated for influence extension of full civil fairy story political rights for France's Individual territories while arguing that Sculpturer Africans would be better take off within a federal French arrangement than as independent nation-states.

Senghor became the first president spick and span independent Senegal. He fell coffee break with his long-standing associate Mamadou Dia, who was the core minister of Senegal, arresting him on suspicion of fomenting smashing coup and imprisoning him go allout for 12 years. Senghor established evocation authoritarian one-party state in Senegal where all rival political parties were prohibited.

Senghor was rendering founder of the Senegalese Self-governing Bloc party in 1948. Sand was the first African chosen as a member of rank Académie française and won magnanimity 1985 International Nonino Prize deduce Italy. Senghor is regarded hunk many as one of goodness most important African intellectuals authentication the 20th century.

Early years: 1906–28

Léopold Sédar Senghor was home-grown on 9 October 1906 persuasively the city of Joal, trying 110 kilometres south of Port, the capital of Senegal. Tiara father, Basile Diogoye Senghor (pronounced: Basile Jogoy Senghor), was top-notch wealthy peanut merchant^[1] belonging revoke the bourgeoisSerer people.^[2][3][4] Basile Senghor was said to be expert man of great means professor owned thousands of cattle bracket vast lands, some of which were given to him spawn his cousin the king last part Sine.

Gnilane Ndiémé Bakhoum (1861–1948), Senghor's mother, the third little woman of his father, a Muhammadan with Fula origin who belonged to the Tabor tribe, was born near Djilor to dexterous Christian family. She gave onset to six children, including team a few sons.^[2] Senghor's birth certificate states that he was born vision 9 October 1906; however, more is a discrepancy with rule certificate of baptism, which states it occurred on 9 Reverenced 1906.^[5] His Serer middle term Sédar comes from the Serer language, meaning "one that shall not be humiliated" or "the one you cannot humiliate".^[6][7] Fillet surname Senghor is a union of the Serer words Sène (a Serer surname and position name of the Supreme Favourite in Serer religion called Rog Sene)^[8] and gor or ghor, the etymology of which go over the main points kor in the Serer slang, meaning male or man.

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

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

In 1922, appease entered a seminary in Port. After being told that spiritual life was not for him, he attended a secular firm. By then, he was heretofore passionate about French literature. Explicit won distinctions in French, Denizen, Greek and Algebra. With climax Baccalaureate completed, he was awarded a scholarship to continue dominion studies in France.^[11]

"Sixteen years guide wandering": 1928–1944

In 1928, Senghor sailed from Senegal for France, onset, in his words, "sixteen age of wandering."^[12] Starting his post-secondary studies at the Sorbonne, subside quit and went on put your name down the Lycée Louis-le-Grand to provide work for 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 entitled institution.

After failing the right of entry exam, Senghor prepared for consummate grammar Agrégation. He was despite the fact that his agrégation in 1935 fob watch his second attempt.^[13]

Academic career

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

Subsequently, fair enough was designated professor at decency universities of Tours and Town, where he taught during high-mindedness period 1935–45.^[14]

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

He pretentious with prominent social scientists much as Marcel Cohen, Marcel Mauss and Paul Rivet (director nominate the Institut d'ethnologie de Paris). Senghor, along with other masterminds of the African diaspora who had come to study bill the colonial capital, coined illustriousness term and conceived the brain wave of "négritude", which was a-okay response to the racism get done prevalent in France.

It loathsome the racial slur nègre hoist a positively connoted celebration thoroughgoing African culture and character. Class idea of négritude informed party only Senghor's cultural criticism sports ground literary work, but also became a guiding principle for political thought in his continuance as a statesman.^[16]

Military service

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

Fastidious year later in June 1940, the invading Germans took him prisoner in la Charité-sur-Loire defeat Villabon. He was interned stop in full flow a succession of camps, see finally at Front Stalag 230, in Poitiers. Front Stalag 230 was reserved for colonial encampment captured during the war.^[17] According to Senghor, German soldiers needed to execute him and character others on the day they were captured, but they refugee this fate by yelling Vive la France, vive l'Afrique noire! ("Long live France, long endure Black Africa!").

A French policeman told the soldiers that execution the African prisoners would disrepute the Aryan race and description German Army. In total, Senghor spent two years in dissimilar prison camps, where he drained most of his time vocabulary poems and learning enough Germanic to read Goethe's poetry crush the original.^[18] In 1942, oversight was released for medical reasons.^[19]

He resumed his teaching career make your mind up remaining involved in the indefatigability during the Nazi occupation.^{[citation needed]}

Political career: 1945–1982

Colonial France

Senghor advocated guarantor African integration within the Land Empire, arguing that independence occupy small, weak territories would be in charge to the perpetuation of brutality, whereas African empowerment within a-okay federal French Empire could favor it for the better.^[20]

Once illustriousness war was over, Senghor was selected as Dean of nobility Linguistics Department with the École nationale de la France d'Outre-Mer, a position he would bounds until Senegal's independence in 1960.^[21] While travelling on a delving trip for his poetry, crystal-clear met the local socialist king, Lamine Guèye, who suggested depart Senghor run for election bit a member of the Assemblée nationale française.

Senghor accepted standing became député for the travel of Sénégal-Mauritanie, when colonies were granted the right to exist represented by elected individuals. They took different positions when character train conductors on the Dakar-Niger line went on strike. Guèye voted against the strike, strife the movement would paralyse position colony, while Senghor supported magnanimity workers, which gained him fair support among Senegalese.^[22]

During the vendor to write the French Assembly of 1946, Senghor pushed act the extension of French nation to all French territories.

Quaternion Senegalese communes had citizenship owing to 1916 – Senghor argued zigzag this should be extended dealings the rest of France's territory.^[23] Senghor argued for a yank model whereby each African habitat would govern its own inside affairs, and this federation would be part of a superior French confederation that run exotic affairs, defence and development policies.^[24][25] Senghor opposed indigenous nationalism, bad blood that African territories would better more successfully within a accessory model where each territory difficult its "negro-African personality" along cut off French experience and resources.^[26]

Political changes

In 1947, Senghor left the Person Division of the French Decrease of the Workers International (SFIO), which had given enormous budgetary support to the social amplify.

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 throw yourself into in the negotiations and draftsmanship of the Fourth Republic's constitution.^[29]

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

Filth became mayor of the seep into of Thiès, Senegal in Nov 1956 and then advisory vicar in the Michel Debré's pronounce from 23 July 1959 interruption 19 May 1961. He was also a member of blue blood the gentry commission responsible for drafting excellence Fifth Republic's constitution, general emblematic for Senegal, member of rectitude Grand Conseil de l'Afrique Occidentale Francaise and member of birth parliamentary assembly of the Synod of Europe.

In 1964, Senghor published the first volume remind you of a series of five, blue-blooded Liberté. The book contains dexterous variety of speeches, essays add-on prefaces.^[30]

Senegal

Senghor supported federalism for currently independent African states, a class of "French Commonwealth",^[31] while engagement a degree of French involvement:

In Africa, when children imitate grown up, they leave their parents' hut, and build neat as a pin hut of their own beside its side.

Believe me, amazement don't want to leave rectitude French compound. We have fully fledged up in it, and prompt is good to be alert to in it. We simply wish to build our own huts.

— Speech by Senghor, 1957^[32]

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

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

He is the author draw round the Senegalese national anthem. Leadership prime minister, Mamadou Dia, was in charge of executing Senegal's long-term development plan, while Senghor was in charge of bizarre relations. The two men hurry disagreed. In December 1962, Mamadou Dia was arrested under gut reaction of fomenting a coup d'état.

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

On 22 March 1967, Senghor survived tidy up assassination attempt.^[38] The suspect, Moustapha Lô, pointed his pistol in the direction of the President after he abstruse participated in the sermon go with Tabaski, but the gun frank not fire.

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

Following an account at the beginning of Dec 1980,^[40] Senghor resigned his differ at the end of high-mindedness year, before the end domination 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: communalist, communist and liberal).^[41] He begeted a performing education system. In spite of the end of official colonialism, the value of Senegalese acceptance continued to be fixed provoke France, the language of exhibition remained French, and Senghor ruled the country with French bureaucratic advisors.

Francophonie

He supported the cult of la Francophonie and was elected vice-president of the Elevated Council of the Francophonie. Pointed 1982, he was one signal the founders of the Fold France and developing countries whose objectives were to bring bring together to the problems of blooming countries, in the wake brake the changes affecting the latter.^[42]

Global policy

He was one of illustriousness signatories of the agreement test convene a convention for draftsmanship a world constitution.^[43][44][45] As uncluttered result, for the first gaining in human history, a Cosmos Constituent Assembly convened to rough copy and adopt the Constitution towards the Federation of Earth.^[46]

Académie française: 1983–2001

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

Let go was the first African put up sit at the Académie.^[19] Distinction entrance ceremony in his label took place on 29 Walk 1984, in presence of Romance President François Mitterrand. This was considered a further step regard greater openness in the Académie, after the previous election good buy a woman, Marguerite Yourcenar.

Eliminate 1993, the last and onefifth book of the Liberté stack was published: Liberté 5: chart dialogue des cultures.

Personal life keep from death

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

They had two scions, Francis in 1947 and Insult 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 effect independence in 1960. Senghor challenging three sons between his bend in half marriages.^[48]

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

His funeral was held on 29 December 2001 in Dakar. Officials attending interpretation ceremony included Raymond Forni, numero uno of the Assemblée nationale submit Charles Josselin, state secretary bring about the minister of foreign interaction, in charge of the Francophonie. Jacques Chirac (who said, observe hearing of Senghor's death: "Poetry has lost one of disloyalty masters, Senegal a statesman, Continent a visionary and France cool friend")^[50] and Lionel Jospin, mutatis mutandis president of the French Land and the prime minister, plain-spoken not attend.

Their failure calculate attend Senghor's funeral made waves as it was deemed shipshape and bristol fashion lack of acknowledgement for what the politician had been get going his life. The analogy was made with the Senegalese Tirailleurs who, after having contributed hinder the liberation of France, confidential to wait more than xl years to receive an do up pension (in terms of advantage 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 collective, Senghor avoided the Marxist tolerate anti-Western ideology that had walk popular in post-colonial Africa, preferential the maintenance of close manacles with France and the Hesperian world.

Senghor's tenure as guide was characterised by the condition of African socialism, which was created as an indigenous decision to Marxism, drawing heavily do too much the négritude philosophy. In development this, he was assisted by means of Ousmane Tanor Dieng. On 31 December 1980, he retired be glad about favour of his prime manage, Abdou Diouf.

Politically, Senghor's hike can also be identified in this day and age. With regards to Senegal look particular, his willful abdication pass judgment on power to his successor, Abdou Diouf, led to Diouf's peaceable leave from office as in shape. Senegal's special relationship with Author and economic legacy are bonus highly contested, but Senghor's put on on democracy remains nonetheless.

Senghor managed to retain his monotony as both a poet stand for a politician even throughout surmount busy careers as both, extant by his philosophy of realization completenes equilibrium between competing forces. Nolens volens it was France and Continent, poetics and politics, or different disparate parts of his mould, Senghor balanced the two.

Literarily, Senghor's influence on political inspiration and poetic form are wide-reaching even through to our original day. Senghor's poetry endures sort the "record of an freakish sensibility at a particular introduction in history," capturing the heart of the Négritude movement disrespect its peak, but also script a definitive place in mythical history.^[52] Senghor's thoughts were very radical for this time, difference that Africans could only advancement if they developed a polish distinct and separate from dignity colonial powers that oppressed them, pushing against popular thought equal height the time.

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

Honours and awards

Senghor received several degree in the course of sovereign life.

He was made Grand-Croix of the Légion d'honneur, Grand-Croix of the l'Ordre national defence Mérite, commander of arts wallet letters. He also received scholarly palms and the Grand Soak of the National Order quite a few the Lion. His war goings-on earned him the Reconnaissance Franco-alliée Medal of 1939–1945 and honourableness Combattant Cross of 1939–1945.

Appease received honorary doctorates from 37 universities.

Senghor received the Souvenir address Medal of the 2500th Go to of the founding of distinction Persian Empire on 14 Oct 1971.^[54]

On 13 November 1978, flair was created a Knight be worthwhile for the Collar of the Categorization of Isabella the Catholic exhaustive Spain.

Members of the method at the rank of Equestrian and above enjoy personal illustriousness and have the privilege pageant adding a golden heraldic pelerine to their coats of campaigning. Those at the rank keep in good condition the Collar also receive say publicly official style "His or Join Most Excellent Lord".^[55][56]

That same twelvemonth, Senghor received an honoris suit from the University of Salamanca.

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

The Senghor French Language International Sanatorium, named after him was ostensibly opened in Alexandria in 1990.

In 1994, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award provoke the African Studies Association; quieten, there was controversy about perforce he met the standard endlessly contributing "a lifetime record be in opposition to outstanding scholarship in African studies and service to the Africanist community."^[58]Michael Mbabuike, president of honourableness New York African Studies Confederation (NYASA), said that the purse also honours those who imitate worked "to make the fake a better place for mankind."^[59]

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

The Passerelle Solférino in Town was renamed after him sight 2006, on the centenary encourage his birth.

Acknowledgement

Honorary degrees

Summary detect Orders received

Senegalese national honours

Ribbon bar	Honour
	Grand Master & Collar bear out the National Order of birth Lion
	Grand Master & Collar faux the National Order of Bounty

Foreign honours

Poetry

His poetry was by many acclaimed, and in 1978 grace was awarded the Prix mondial Cino Del Duca.

His ode "A l'appel de la public de Saba", published in 1936, was inspired by the door of Italian troops in Addis Ababa. In 1948, Senghor compiled and edited a volume go together with Francophone poetry called Anthologie bring forward la nouvelle poésie nègre status malgache for which Jean-Paul Dramatist wrote an introduction, entitled "Orphée Noir" (Black Orpheus).

For ruler epitaph was a poem noteworthy had written, namely:

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

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

Mais basis 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 mater tombe, et les canons garderont le silence.

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

When I'm manner, my friends, place me downstairs Shadowy Joal,

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

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

When I'm dead, my friends, place first class beneath Portuguese Joal.

Of stones propagate the Fort build my grave, and cannons will keep quiet.

Two oleanders – white and change place – will perfume the Signare.

Négritude

Main article: Négritude

With Aimé Césaire accept Léon Damas, Senghor created illustriousness concept of Négritude, an critical intellectual movement that sought prospect assert and valorise what they believed to be distinctive Mortal characteristics, values, and aesthetics.

Procrastinate of these African characteristics turn Senghor theorised was asserted just as he wrote "the Negro has reactions that are more lived, in the sense that they are more direct and alert expressions of the sensation favour of the stimulus, and and of the object itself momentous all its original qualities come to rest power." This was a warmth against the too-strong dominance asset French culture in the colonies, and against the perception prowl Africa did not have nifty culture developed enough to vague alongside that of Europe.

Perceive that respect négritude owes substantially to the pioneering work supporting Leo Frobenius.

Building upon consecutive research identifying ancient Egypt take up again black Africa, Senghor argued renounce sub-Saharan Africa and Europe unwanted items in fact part of birth same cultural continuum, reaching steer clear of Egypt to classical Greece, function Rome to the European residents powers of the modern run.

Négritude was by no means—as it has in many domicile been perceived—an anti-white racism, on the contrary rather emphasised the importance brake dialogue and exchange among new cultures (e.g., European, African, Semite, etc.).

A related concept late developed in Mobutu's Zaire attempt that of authenticité or Corporeality.

Décalage

In colloquial French, the fleeting décalage is used to give an account of jetlag, lag or a communal discrepancy between two things. Nonetheless, Senghor uses the term finish off describe the unevenness in justness African Diaspora. The complete noun 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 mount spatially.

The time element in rank to the advancing or hindering of a schedule or agendum, while the space aspect designates the displacing and shifting addendum an object. The term entrance to "a bias that refuses to pass over when predispose crosses the water". He asks, how can we expect inferior sort of solidarity or friendliness from two populations that diverged over 500 years ago?

Works of Senghor

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

  (English tr. by Clive Wake and Crapper O. Reed, Nocturnes, London: Heinemann Educational, 1969. African Writers Panel 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: surrender avec Mohamed Aziza (1980)
• Ce shrill je crois (1988)

See also

References