African Americans in France facts for kids

African Americans in France are people from the United States who have African American heritage and live in France. This includes students and people working there for a short time.

France has often been seen as a safe place for African Americans. After slavery ended in 1794, France said it was a "colorblind" society. This meant they aimed to treat everyone equally, no matter their race. Many African Americans moved to France starting in the 1800s. They often wanted to escape the widespread racism in the United States.

After World War I, jazz music became very popular in France. This helped create a lively African American community. It also opened doors for black performers, writers, and artists. France does not collect information about race or ethnicity in its official records. This makes it hard to know exactly how many African Americans live there today. In recent years, there have been calls for more open discussions about race in France. There's also a new interest in "négritude", which celebrates black culture and identity.

Migration to France

Early Migrations

African Americans have lived and worked in France since the 1800s. Most African Americans are descendants of Africans from the American Colonial Era. The first large group of African Americans moved to France after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. When this French land became part of America, many free black Americans moved to France. They wanted to escape places where racial discrimination was very strong. It's thought that almost 50,000 free black people moved during this time.

World War I and the Jazz Age

After World War I, a community of African Americans began to grow in Paris. About 200,000 African American soldiers came to France during the war. Most of them had non-fighting jobs. Many were from the American South. The Harlem Hellfighters from New York were among the first to arrive in 1917. One soldier, Sergeant Henry Johnson, was the first American to receive a special French Army medal called the Croix de guerre.

Many black soldiers decided to stay in France after the war. They felt welcomed by the French people. More African Americans followed them. France felt like a big change from the widespread racism in the United States.

This was also when jazz music became popular in France. Black culture really took off in Paris. African American musicians, artists, and writers, many linked to the Harlem Renaissance, found a warm welcome in Paris in the 1920s. France offered a great chance for jazz musicians. They could escape racism and the growing competition in the American jazz scene. Famous entertainers like Josephine Baker, Charlie Parker, and Eugene Bullard became very successful after moving to France in the 1920s.

Montmartre became the heart of this small community. Jazz clubs like Le Grand Duc, Chez Florence, and Bricktop's were very popular in Paris. The 1920s in France were called "Les Années Folles" (the Crazy Years). This time saw a small but important number of African Americans. It was a period when black American culture was truly appreciated.

World War II and Beyond

When Nazi Germany invaded Paris in June 1940, jazz music was stopped. It became dangerous for African Americans to stay in the city. Most Americans, both black and white, left Paris then. After World War II, black immigrants from former French colonies arrived. This gave African Americans in France a chance to experience new kinds of black culture.

The time after WWII brought hundreds of black Americans to Paris. This included important American writers like Richard Wright and James Baldwin. A new generation of jazz musicians also came.

In the 1950s and 1960s, big changes and protests happened in the United States. These included the Civil Rights Movement and protests against the Vietnam War. Similar public protests also happened in France. The African American journalist William Gardner Smith was a novelist. He worked for a French news service called Agence France-Presse. This service reported on the student uprising during the May 1968 protests. Many black residents supported this movement. It grew into a near shutdown of the entire country. After things calmed down, French police and immigration officials became stricter.

Today's Era

It is against the law to collect information about race or ethnicity in France. However, studies on immigration suggest there are between 3 and 5 million black people in the country today. France continues to be a place where African American thinkers and artists thrive. Rapper Kanye West is one example. He has built connections in the French fashion and music world.

Culture and Identity

In the 1920s, many Parisians became very interested in Africa and black people. This was because of a growing interest in different cultures and ways of expressing oneself. Because of this, most Black Americans at the time were performers. It was often hard for them to find other types of jobs since they were foreigners. Langston Hughes wrote about his own struggles to find work in France in his book, The Big Sea.

The Algerian War also greatly affected French African American culture. It changed how people viewed France's idea of being "colorblind." Important writers like William Gardner Smith (The Stone Face) and James Baldwin ("Alas, Poor Richard") showed how France treated people from its colonies unfairly. They pointed out how this was similar to the unfair treatment black Americans faced in the United States. These writings encouraged more discussion about race and identity as France moved into the 21st century.

Talking about race is still a sensitive topic in France. But events in the U.S., like Barack Obama's election and the tragic death of George Floyd, have started more discussions about race. In the summer of 2020, hundreds of thousands of people protested racism and police actions in the streets of France. There has been a new interest in the idea of "negritude" among younger generations. This is often shown through their art and music.

Notable figures

• J. Alexander, model
• Josephine Baker, entertainer and actress
• Longineu W. Parsons III
• Mickey Baker, influential guitarist in rock and roll, and rhythm and blues
• James Baldwin, author and essayist
• Sidney Bechet, jazz musician
• Arthur Briggs, jazz musician
• Eugene Bullard, world's first Black military pilot
• Barbara Chase-Riboud, novelist, poet, sculptor and visual artist
• Kenny Clarke, jazz musician
• Bessie Coleman, First African-American Pilot
• Beauford Delaney, modernist painter
• Carole Fredericks, singer
• Johnny Griffin, jazz musician
• Chester Himes, crime novelist
• Quincy Jones, musician, composer, record producer
• Eartha Kitt, singer, actress, and entertainer
• Lenny Kravitz, rock musician
• Ealy Mays, painter
• Memphis Slim, blues pianist and singer
• Chloé Mortaud, Miss France, 2009
• Shaun Ollison, model, Ms. California 2000
• Rashaan Nall, actor, director, screenwriter, painter
• Lobo Nocho, jazz singer and painter who was romantically involved with Winston Churchill's daughter Sarah
• Charlie Parker, jazz musician
• Tony Parker, basketball player for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets (born in Belgium, but raised in France)
• Melvin Sanders, professional basketball player
• Victor Séjour, playwright
• Nina Simone, jazz and blues singer, a prominent leader during the American Civil Rights Movement
• Ada "Bricktop" Smith, dancer, singer, vaudevillian, and self-described saloon-keeper
• William Gardner Smith, journalist, novelist, and editor
• Henry Ossawa Tanner, painter
• Dominique Wilkins, NBA Hall of Famer (born in France while his father was stationed there with the U.S. Air Force)
• Richard Wright, author of novels, short stories, and non-fiction
• Amir Richardson

See also

• Afro-French
• Americans in France
• Mexicans in France
• Gypsies in France