A meaningful initiative. Perhaps you noticed when you went to Google this Tuesday, October 12, Paulette Nardal was in the spotlight on Google, it’s a step forward! The woman of letters is one of the major figures in the history of black people in France, yet remains very little known to the general public. Born in October 12, 1896, Paulette Nardal was a woman of letters and journalist from Martinique. She is one of the inspirers of the literary movement of negritude and the first black woman to study at the Sorbonne. she was a key figure in the development of a black literary consciousness, responsible for introducing French intellectuals to the work of the Harlem Renaissance poets.
Born into the upper-middle class on Martinique, Nardal became a teacher and went to complete her education in Paris. She was the first black person to study at the Sorbonne in 1920 and established an influential literary Le Salon de Clamart with her sisters which explored the experiences of the African diaspora.
As a journalist and author, she published works that advocated a Pan-African awareness and acknowledged the similarities of challenges faced by people due to racism and sexism. Though an ardent feminist, she was not radical, encouraging women to work within the existing social structures to achieve political influence. At the beginning of World War II, Nardal fled France but was injured when a submarine attacked her ship, causing a lifelong disability. Returning to Martinique, she established feminist organizations and newspapers encouraging educated women to channel their energies into social improvement. She sponsored home economic training and founded nursery schools for impoverished women. Because of her understanding of issues facing the populations of the Caribbean, she was hired to work as an area specialist at the United Nations. Nardal was the first black woman to hold an official post in the Division of Non-Self-Governing Territories at the UN. She was awarded the title of Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur in 1976, the nation’s highest honor.
When she returned to Martinique after her UN position, she worked to preserve the musical traditions of the country. She wrote a history of traditional music styles for the centennial celebration of the abolition of slavery on the island and developed a choir that celebrated the African-roots of the music of Martinique.
In the post-World War II period, Paulette Nardal was nominated as a delegate to the United Nations in 1946. She worked in the Division of Non-Self Governing Territories. She returned to Martinique in 1948, and in the 1950s and 1960s, she supported Dr. Martin Luther King’s campaign for civil rights in the United States. Paulette Nadal, who never married, died in Fort-de-France, Martinique on February 16, 1985. She was 88. There’s the Jane-et-Paulette Nardal Promenade located at 100 rue Didot in Paris, and a plaque commemorates Nardal’s legacy in the Paris suburb of Clamart, where her salon catalyzed an international movement. Happy Birthday, Paulette Nardal!
By Alize Utteryn 01/12/2021
