Blaise Diagne

He died of Tuberculosis on May 11, 1934.

He has a boulevard in Senegal named after him, as well as a high school in Dakar and Senegal's international airport.

Blaise Diagne was born on October 13, 1872, on Goree Island, Senegal. His father was a cook while his mother was a servant.

His birth name was Galaye M'baye Diagne. He was given the name Blaise when he was adopted by Adolphe Crespin. Crespin had him baptized and gave him the name Blaise as his Christian name.

Diagne completed his primary education at the Brother of Ploemel School. He excelled in primary school and completed his secondary education in Aix-en-Provence, France.

Diagne passed the French Customs Service entrance examination in 1891. He started his career as a customs agent the following year.

His first assignment was in Dahomey in 1892.

Diagne was a busy man from 1896 to 1914. During this time period he worked in Dakar, the French Congo, the island of Reunion, Madagascar, and French Guyana.

In 1914, he returned to Senegal to begin a career in politics. He ran for a seat in the French National Assembly and won, beating out Francois Carpot.

He made an impact in office immediately. In 1916, he put up the bill proposing full French Citizen ship for four coastal communities in Senegal known as "The Four Communes".

Blaise Diagne's career was one that revolved around equality not just for the Sengalese, but for all people.

During his 22 years as a customs agent working in France's African colonies he witnessed first-hand various civil injustices. This fueled his dedication to a political career, which advocated equal rights for all.

His other major work was his election to the French National Assembly in 1914. He was the first African to be elected to the French government, which cemented his place in the history of African Politics.