The Migration of African Americans to France After World War I

1. The Migration of African Americans to France After World War I By Sue Perry

2. What caused African Americans to migrate to France?

3. The White standard was the American standard

4. Conditions in the United States After the Civil War and freeing of African slaves, Jim Crow laws were created. These laws established African Americans as second-class citizens. Rule of law kept African Americans from voting, having equal educational opportunities, and accessing public and private facilities.

5. Twentieth Century Attitude towards African Americans Laws brought more rights to African Americans. Yet, many unsaid rules prevented African Americans from living in certain areas, having certain occupations, and marrying whom they desired.

6. Results of Jim Crow Laws

7. How did African Americans hear about equal treatment for them in France? This information was based on accounts of famous African American visitors such as Ira Aldridge, Bishop Daniel Payne, Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglas, and W,E.B. DuBois.

8. W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T. Washington Washington, along with Dubois, organized the “Negro exhibition” at the 1900 Exposition Universelle, in Paris. The exhibition highlighted the contribution of various African Americans to society in the United States.

9. Frederick Douglas “One of the reasons why I so much like France and the French,” he said to me one day, “is because the negro is not the butt of ridicule here as he is in the United States. There are no minstrel shows in Paris, and at the Louvre and Luxembourg Galleries and elsewhere I find that the public treats the African as an equal fellow-being. This was said by Frederick Douglas as he visited Paris in 1887.

10. African American Writers in Paris African American writers found refuge in Paris during the 1920’s and 30’s. They found full self-expression and freedom to pursue their dreams without limitations of race. Among them were Langston Hughes, Sidney Bechet, and Richard Wright. Langston Hughes

11. Richard Wright

12. Sidney Bechet

13. Harlem Hellfighters Also known as the 369th Infantry Regiment , they were the most celebrated group of African American soldiers in WWI. They were shipped from the United States to France in 1917 in order to avoid the angry reactions of U. S. soldiers fighting along side of them. In France they were highly lauded and received more medals than any other group of fighters.

14. James Reese He was one of the most famous members of the Hell fighters. Reese was the first African American to command troops in the war. He traveled over two thousand miles throughout France, establishing a strong African American presence in France. He was widely praised in that country.

15. World War I Some African Americans believed in France enough to join her fight for freedom before the United States entered the war. Eugene Bullard was a member of the French foreign legion.

16. Eugene Bullard • Was told by his father about the equality African Americans enjoyed in France. • He left home at the age of seven, after a lynch mob forced his family from their home. • He spent time in England, while at the age of nineteen finally reached France. • Bullard joined the French foreign legion, then transferred to the French Air Service in 1916. • He earned the Black Swallow of Death award for his heroism.

17. The Attitude of France towards African Americans France embraced African American culture like no other country embraced the culture. Because of this legendary embrace, which African Americans heard about since the 1800’s, France was large in their imaginations. Because they did not feel welcome in their own country, African Americans looked to the opportunities of employment, housing and education that France offered them.

18. Artists African American art took center stage in Paris during the 1920’s-30’s. These artists experienced equality among all other nationalities. Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, unable to show her works in the United States, she was able to show them in Paris. Augusta Savage, who was denied acceptance to an art program in the United States showed her sculptures in Paris. Lois Mailou Jones entered her painting into a museum under her French friend’s name. Nancy Elizabeth Prophet

19. Jazz Music in Paris Jazz music was introduced in Paris after WWI. The French had a craze for African American culture, but also viewed jazz music as a symbol of prestige. African Americans saw the jazz scene as a source of employment and a lack of the segregation they had experienced in America. Eugene Bullard and James Reese, of the Hell fighters were also involved in the music scene. Sidney Bechet, the Father of Jazz

20. Opportunities African Americans in Paris were able to form their own community and culture, including their own institutions and traditions. Racism could be left behind without abandoning their culture. Communities were based on positive relationships and experiences instead of the limitations of segregation.

21. Conclusion • With the passing away of some of these great African Americans, though during the Civil Rights Movement , many African Americans continued to remain in Paris. • Young and old African Americans remained in Paris, concerned with developing careers and making better lives for their families. • Paris became more diverse and an example of equality to other areas of the world

22. References http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/jim-crow-and-great-migration/resources/lynching-america http://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=EARLY_POLITICAL_ORGANIZING https://www.google.com/search?q=jim+crow+laws&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjLxMWRxa_MAhWLPT4KHR_PA2kQ_AUIBygB&biw=1093&bih=602#imgrc=i10OxJSp-jXqBM%3A https://206soph.wikispaces.com/Jim+Crow+Laws https://www.google.com/search?q=white+superiority+in+america&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj0idmay6_MAhVJcD4KHRSnBrYQ_AUIBygB&biw=1093&bih=602#imgrc=0vucZ7UnOrfADM%3A http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/25/travel/paris-african-american-history-tours/ http://www.albany.edu/news/11843.php http://themicrogiant.com/black-france-2013-documentary/ http://www.expositions-universelles.fr/1900-dahomey-congo.html http://muse.jhu.edu/chapter/1328533

23. References(cont.) http://manoretro.unblog.fr/2001/12/30/frederick-douglass-merci/ http://all-len-all.com/on-this-day-may-5-1887-sitting-bull-leads-followers-into-canada/ http://bcfoley.blogspot.com/2011/11/harlem-hellfighters.html http://jkllr.net/2014/05/14/the-story-of-the-harlem-hellfighters-part-two/ http://www.storyvillerecords.com/artists/sidney-bechet http://group4aaf202.blogspot.com/p/artists.html http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=langston+hughes&view=detailv2&&id=AE7C564AD5AE8CD9B2122B5857A01D113E161E35&selectedIndex=4&ccid=Lsse2jtk&simid=607994759645954865&thid=OIP.M2ecb1eda3b64fb083e33aa4ef9cdfd93o1&ajaxhist=0

24. References(cont.) Stovall, Tyler Edward. Paris Noir: African Americans in the City of Light. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1996. Print. Papich, Stephen. Remembering Josephine. 1976. Print. When African Americans Came to Paris. Dir. Joanne Burke. 2012. DVD. Cawley, Janet. "The Black Pearl: The Electrifying, Scandalous Life of Josephine Baker." Biography Magazine (2000): 94-99. Web. Whitaker, Charles. "The Real-Life Josephine Baker: What the Movie Didn't Tell You. despite Vivid Performances, No Medium Has Captured the Essence of Legendary Star's Life." Ebony 1 June 1991. Print.