Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Friday 8 december 2017
A tour in the footsteps of famous African-Americans in Paris

By RUSSELL CONTRERAS and his Jazz Messengers.
Associated Press Last year, the club got a
PARIS (AP) — The great cameo appearance in the
African-American writers movie “La La Land.” One
James Baldwin and Rich- evening last summer, a trio
ard Wright began their feud of saxophonists drew a di-
over Wright’s novel “Native verse crowd of swing danc-
Son,” at Cafe Les Deux Ma- ers enjoying 1940s-era jazz.
gots. Jazz trumpeter Miles Around the corner from
Davis held hands with his Caveau de la Huchette,
white girlfriend, French ac- vintage shops sell posters of
tress Juliette Greco, while African-American jazz art-
strolling along the Seine af- ists and hard-to-find vinyl
ter hanging out with Picas- albums like “The Hawk in
so. Entertainer Josephine Paris” by Coleman Hawkins.
Baker became a megastar In Saint Germain des Pres,
at the Theatre des Champs- Cafe de Flore is known as a
Elysees. favorite hangout of Ernest
Some travelers to Paris seek Hemingway’s. But it’s also
selfies with the Eiffel Tower, where James Baldwin, a
go to see the Mona Lisa son of Harlem who came to
at the Louvre or stroll to Paris with only $40, crafted
the Arc de Triomphe. But his novel “Go Tell It on the
you can create a different In this June 20, 2017 photos, Novelist Colson Whitehead speaks to fans after discussing his Pulitzer Mountain.” There’s a small
type of itinerary exploring prize-winning book “The Underground Railroad” at the English-language bookstore Shakespeare photo of Hemingway up-
African-American connec- and Company in Paris. stairs but no image of Bald-
tions to the City of Light. Associated Press win.
Some of the United States’ nation. “The opportunity to live a There’s a swimming pool At Le Select cafe, a gath-
greatest black intellectuals Yet decades ago, African- rich, full life is something named for her too, in a ering place for intellectuals
and performers sought an Americans felt welcomed that she could have in Par- barge floating on the Seine. before World War II, Bald-
escape here from the rac- here. St. Louis-born Freda is,” Stevenson said. “She And while the Lenox win finished “Giovanni’s
ism of 20th century Ameri- Josephine McDonald, for could not have this in the Lounge, a famed Harlem Room,” a novel about an
ca, and with a little home- example, came to Paris United States.” jazz club where Billie Holi- American in Paris and his
work, you can retrace their as a dancer after a life of When Baker died in 1975, day sang, has closed, Paris affair with an Italian man.
footsteps. cleaning houses and bab- she was buried in a French jazz clubs such as Caveau The famed English-lan-
“Paris. ... There you can ysitting for wealthy white military uniform with her de la Huchette in the city’s guage bookstore Shake-
be whatever you want to families. In the U.S., she was medals for her role in the Latin Quarter still serve up speare and Company
be. Totally yourself,” poet criticized for being “too French Resistance during energetic evenings of live served as a meeting place
Langston Hughes wrote, dark.” The New York Times World War II. swing and bebop. for African-Americans and
according to Paule Mar- once called her a “Negro Today, you can catch a Founded in 1947, Caveau other expats throughout
shall’s memoir “Triangular wench.” But in Paris, she show at the Art Deco-style de la Huchette was one the 20th century and still
Road.” drew immediate fame for Theatre des Champs-Ely- of many clubs where Af- does. On a recent after-
“I’ve never felt a moment her 1925 performance in sees, visit Baker’s favorite rican-American perform- noon, the African-Ameri-
of sorrow,” Wright said La Revue Negre at the The- restaurant La Coupole and ers sought to make a liv- can writer Colson White-
about leaving the U.S. for atre des Champs-Elysees. take photos at Place Jose- ing amid changing music head talked to a crowd
France. As Josephine Baker, she phine Baker, a square. Her tastes in the U.S. It played outside the store about his
How and why these black became one of the era’s image, rarely seen in the host to the likes of Lionel Pulitzer Prize-winning novel
expats felt more at home most popular performers. U.S., is widespread in Paris. Hampton and Art Blakey “The Underground Rail-
in Paris than in their own road.” He answered ques-
country is the theme of tions about slavery in the
Black Paris Tours , founded U.S., police shootings and
and led by Ricki Stevenson. the state of African-Amer-
In the U.S., African-Ameri- icans in a post-President
cans contended with seg- Barack Obama nation. In-
regation, racial terror and side, books on display in-
little support for their art. cluded “They Can’t Kill Us
But in Paris, they drank wine All: The Story of the Struggle
with surrealists, frequented for Black Lives” and “Why
bars that aided the French I’m No Longer Talking to
Resistance during World White People About Race.”
War II, and enjoyed acco- Looking back on his time
lades for their work, Steven- in Paris, Miles Davis once
son said. The French show- wrote: “I loved being in Par-
ered them with admiration is and loved the way I was
and opportunity — ironic treated.”
given France’s treatment Stevenson said visitors can
of its African colonies. And learn about that chapter
while Paris today is a multi- of the African-American
ethnic city, immigrants from experience today. “All you
its former colonies, espe- This June 19, 2017 photo shows Chez Camille, a popular American-theme bar in Paris and where need to know is the history,”
cially North Africans, often members of the French resistance to the Nazi occupation gathered. she said. “And know where
face racism and discrimi- Associated Press to visit. It’s all here.”q