What can I say about Césaire? A portrait, but which one? A portrait of politics, literature? A portrait of yesterday, today? An overall picture in time and space? Yes! I will opt for the latter, however, aware that such business is perilous. From Asia, Africa through Europe and the Americas, the great poet of universal is as famous as Victor Hugo and Marcel Proust. Nevertheless, France's reputation - before his funeral on media - has struggled to overcome the circles of amateurs. Redefining
myth ... I will not pretend to portray plausible, I would just like one. A man like Césaire multifaceted dimensions: geographical, historical, ethnic, both public man and private man, poet and playwright, political and citizen requires a surrealist portrait, one capable of embracing a different look aspects of this myth.
On 26 June 1913, the sun above the Low Point - common north-east of Martinique - is a harbinger of good news. Mr. Césaire, official supervision of the contributions (taxes), son of the first black teacher in Martinique and grand-son of a slave condemned to death in 1833 for plotting a revolt, just had a son, Aimé Fernand, David. The grandmother of Aimé Césaire, unlike many women of her generation, could read and write, it initiates early grandchildren reading and writing. From his tender age, young Aime demonstrated a keen mind extraordinary. At age six, he returned to Basse Pointe Elementary School; diligent student and worker, he earned a scholarship to eleven years for high school Victor Schoelcher in Fort-de-France. His baccalaureate, he is naturally left Martinique. He arrived in Paris in Hypokhâgne class at the Lycee Louis-le-Grand. On the first day he met Leopold S. Senghor, with whom he formed a great
MITIE. Negritude: an insult, workhorse of the oppressed ...
Between the World Wars, the French population is fond of exoticism. In 1931, it was the Colonial Exhibition in Paris. The young immigrant discovers what was called the old continent, but above all he meets Africa and oppression. Negro a loud cry for the foundation of the world are shaken so now the project that controls the life and work of neo-normale. Initiated by Leopold Sedar Senghor, the young student attends the black intellectual community. He finds Leon Gontran Damascus - old friend from high school Schoelcher. With his friends, he launched the journal Black Student, and founded the journal Presence Africaine base of blackness. The
Legend has it that Césaire was the victim of a racial slur. Then he turned the "dirty negro" in horse battle for the oppressed. In The Notebook of a return home, his major work, he explains his flagship concept: Negritude. This poem is a long dive to the depths of bad faith and racial oppression in order to conquer the pride of being negro. He celebrates blackness through images triumphant. The word "negritude" is coined to restore dignity to those who never speak.
From words to action ...
Agrégation in École Normale, Aime Cesaire returned to Martinique in 1939 to teach for five years at the Lycée Schoelcher. In 1941 he founded the magazine with his wife who tries to maintain Tropics in Martinique during the years of wars, a word of freedom and cultural resistance. Four years later, at the end of the war, the poet of the oppressed is caught by the policy. Cesaire, then thirty-two, was elected in the communist movement Mayor of Fort-de-France, Martinique and member of the National Assembly, mandates that he was constantly reelected, he will sit 48 years as an MP and mayor of Fort-de-France for 56 years. At the Palais Bourbon
- National Assembly, it is one of the architects of the voting status of departmentalization for Martinique and other former colonies, the famous Dom-Tom. The outcome of this struggle is embodied in the Sermon on the settlement. In this pamphlet to the caustic humor, it makes the process of European civilization patient colonization. In this debate, Césaire opposes nostalgic for the colonial order established.
Young, refuses the oppression of the insult ...
Bold Martinique poet encourages youth to become one. This great humanist spirit free and independent, in which recognize all those who struggle for the emancipation of peoples, bequeathed to future generations a leitmotif inalienable: Resisting oppressive insult.
