Présence africaine (1947- )

The journal Présence africaine was created in 1947 by the Senegalese literary scholar Alioune Diop (1910-1980), a leading figure in the Negritude movement. The inaugural article, whose title quotes a Tukulor proverb (“Niam N’goura...”, eat so that you can live), suggests that the main objective of the journal, i.e. the definition of “African originality”, is hardly outdated. It is a question of inserting such originality into the modern world. While “all people of good will” can contribute regardless of race, the journal does not fail to highlight “African texts”, fiction, poetry and theatre, although collections oriented towards the traditional past of “African culture and civilization” also find their place there. In addition to African intellectuals, such as Cheikh Anta Diop or Amadou Hampâté Ba, Présence africaine includes among its contributors renowned French ethnologists with diverse intellectual sensibilities, such as Marcel Griaule, Michel Leiris or Georges Balandier.

Keywords: Negritude | Pan-Africanism | Second half of the 20^th century | Senegal | African Studies | Alioune Diop | Journals and periodicals