Présence africaine

Review founded in Paris by Alioune Diop in 1947. It rapidly became an important cultural weapon in the struggle for black freedom in both Africa and the Americas. As such, it was the successor to the Revue du monde noir and Légitime défense; but it went further than its predecessors in broadening the struggle, since its committee of patrons included not only blacks from Africa and elsewhere (e.g. Senghor, Richard Wright) but also progressive Europeans (Sartre, Théodore Monod, Mounier).

Présence africaine was characterized by the openness of its approach and its determination to rise above ideological differences. It was the driving force behind two Congresses of Black Writers and Artists (Paris, 1956; Rome, 1959). From its early days it has been an influential force in black literature: it published Abdoulaye Sadji's Nini in its early issues (1947-8) and included Afro-American literature in its reviews.

Despite the political and linguistic Balkanization of Africa, Présence africaine continues to exert a unifying influence, notably by its inclusion of African literature in English. Fulfilling the ambition of Alioune Diop, it is an indispensable tool for anybody wishing to understand Africa in all its cultural, ethnic, and literary diversity.

[Magueye Kassé]