Léopold Sédar Senghor

On December 20, 2001, Senghor passed away of natural causes in Verson, France.

Senghor is widely hailed for his prominent contributions to French and Senegalese literature and poetry. He also played an influential role in post-colonial consciousness with his negritude ideology.

Leopold Sedar Senghor was born on October 9, 1906 in Joal, French West Africa. His father was Basile Diogoye Senghor, a businessman and a member of the elite Serer tribe. His mother, Gnilane Ndieme Bakhou was the third wife of Leopold's father. He grew up in a large household.

In 1913, Leopold enrolled in a boarding school run by an organization known as 'Fathers of the Holy Spirit'. After high school graduation, he briefly entered a seminary in Dakar. He switched to a secular university and began to intensely study French literature and mathematics.

In 1928, Senghor boarded a vessel and sailed to France. He then enrolled at the Sorbonne in Paris.

Shortly thereafter, he dropped out of school. He then began taking a preparatory course in order to be invited to enroll in an elite school. However, he failed the entrance exam.

In 1932, he successfully obtained French citizenship.

In 1935, he graduated from the ‘University of Paris’. He was then hired as a professor. He taught continuously at two schools, one in Paris and one in Tours, for the next 10 years.

It was during this time that Senghor developed the concept of 'negritude', his most enduring contribution to history. Negritude was a frame of mind wherein racial slurs were transubstantiated into a celebration of African culture and identity.

In 1940, while fighting in a war during the German invasion of France, he was taken prisoner. The Germans transferred him to a special prisoner of war camp in Poitiers designed to hold soldiers of color.

In 1942, he was released by the Nazis. He immediately resumed his teaching responsibilities as a professor at an elite school near Paris. He also continued to support the resistance.

In 1945, he was promoted to Dean of the Linguistics Department of a prestigious French school. He would hold this position for the next 15 years.

Leopold Sedar Senghor was the President of Senegal from September 6, 1960 to December 31, 1980. During his presidency, he instituted many socially progressive policies in an attempt to modernize his country. He also worked with neighboring countries to instill a sense of 'negritude', or pride in being African