Damas, Léon-Gontran, 1912-1978
Variant namesBorn in Cayenne, French Guiana, in 1912, Léon-Gontran Damas was a poet, journalist, educator and statesman who co-founded the Négritude literary movement in the 1930's with the Matinique born poet Aimé Césaire and the Senegalese author and statesman Léopold Sédar Senghor. Damas studied modern oriental languages, literature, history and ethnology, and began his career in journalism and literature in Paris in the 1930's. His first volume of poems, Pigments, appeared in 1937. He served briefly in the French army during the Second World War, and joined the French Resistance after his demobilization. Elected representative of Guiana to the French Parliament after the war, he was appointed to the High Court of Justice and served as Rapporteur of a parliamentary commission to the Ivory Coast in 1949. During the 1950's and 1960's, he lectured and traveled extensively in the Caribbean and Latin America, where he studied the influence of African culture in the New World. Appointed Distinguished Visiting Professor at Howard University in 1970, he lectured extensively at colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada until his death in 1978.
From the guide to the The Leon Gontran Damas Sound Recording Collection [sound recording], (The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.)
Born in Cayenne, French Guiana, in 1912, Léon-Gontran Damas was a poet, journalist, educator and statesman who co-founded the Négritude literary movement in the 1930s with the Matinique born poet Aimé Césaire and the Senegalese author and statesman Léopold Sédar Senghor.
Damas studied modern oriental languages, literature, history and ethnology, and began his career in journalism and literature in Paris in the 1930s. His first volume of poems, Pigments, appeared in 1937. He served briefly in the French army during the Second World War, and joined the French Resistance after his demobilization. Elected representative of Guiana to the French Parliament after the war, he was appointed to the High Court of Justice and served as Rapporteur of a parliamentary commission to the Ivory Coast in 1949. During the 1950s and 1960s, he lectured and traveled extensively in the Caribbean and Latin America, where he studied the influence of African culture in the New World. Appointed Distinguished Visiting Professor at Howard University in 1970, he lectured extensively at colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada until his death in 1978.
Damas's other works include: Retour de Guyane (1938), Veilleés Noires (1944), Poèmes Nègres sur des Airs Africains (1947), Graffiti (1952), Black Label (1956) and Névralgies (1966). He also edited two volumes of poetry: Poètes Noirs d'Expression Française (1947) and Nouvelle Somme de Poésie du Monde Noir (1966). His work has been translated in English, German, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. He was awarded the Prix Caraib̤es in 1970. He died in Washington, D.C. in 1978.
From the description of Léon-Gontran Damas papers, 1949-1978. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122571003
Born in Cayenne, French Guiana, in 1912, Léon-Gontran Damas was a poet, journalist, educator and statesman who co-founded the Négritude literary movement in the 1930s with the Matinique born poet Aimé Césaire and the Senegalese author and statesman Léopold Sédar Senghor. Damas studied modern oriental languages, literature, history and ethnology, and began his career in journalism and literature in Paris in the 1930s. His first volume of poems, Pigments, appeared in 1937. He served briefly in the French army during the Second World War, and joined the French Resistance after his demobilization. Elected representative of Guiana to the French Parliament after the war, he was appointed to the High Court of Justice and served as Rapporteur of a parliamentary commission to the Ivory Coast in 1949. During the 1950s and 1960s, he lectured and traveled extensively in the Caribbean and Latin America, where he studied the influence of African culture in the New World. Appointed Distinguished Visiting Professor at Howard University in 1970, he lectured extensively at colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada until his death in 1978.
Damas's other works include: Retour de Guyane (1938), Veilleés Noires (1944), Poèmes Nègres sur des Airs Africains (1947), Graffiti (1952), Black Label (1956) and Névralgies (1966). He also edited two volumes of poetry: Poètes Noirs d'Expression Française (1947) and Nouvelle Somme de Poésie du Monde Noir (1966). His work has been translated in English, German, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. He was awarded the Prix Carai̤bes in 1970. He died in Washington, D.C. in 1978.
From the guide to the Léon-Gontran Damas papers, 1949-1978, (The New York Public Library. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division.)
Role | Title | Holding Repository | |
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creatorOf | Schaffer, Matt. Matt Schaffer collection, 1969-1992 (bulk 1969-1970). | Emory University. Special Collections and Archives | |
referencedIn | Boyadjian, Hayg, 1938-. Hoquet / music, Hayg Boyadjian ; words, Léon Damas. | New York Public Library System, NYPL | |
creatorOf | Damas, Léon-Gontran, 1912-1978. Léon-Gontran Damas papers, 1949-1978. | New York Public Library System, NYPL | |
creatorOf | The Leon Gontran Damas Sound Recording Collection [sound recording] | The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound. | |
creatorOf | Léon-Gontran Damas papers, 1949-1978 | Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives Section |
Role | Title | Holding Repository |
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Filters:
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associatedWith | Anyanwu, K. C. (K. Chukwulozie) | person |
associatedWith | Ashanti, B. J. (Baron James) | person |
associatedWith | Atly, Lionel | person |
associatedWith | Atly, Lionel. | person |
associatedWith | Baghio'o, Jean-Louis, 1910- | person |
associatedWith | Bambara, Toni Cade. | person |
associatedWith | Botchway, Francis A | person |
associatedWith | Botchway, Francis A. | person |
associatedWith | Boyadjian, Hayg, 1938- | person |
associatedWith | Brachfeld, George | person |
associatedWith | Brachfeld, George. | person |
associatedWith | Brown, Sterling Allen, 1901-1989 | person |
associatedWith | Candiff, Julien | person |
associatedWith | Candiff, Julien. | person |
associatedWith | Césaire, Aimé | person |
associatedWith | Césaire, Aimé | person |
associatedWith | Césaire, Aimé | person |
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associatedWith | Colloque culture et developpement, Dakar, 1976. | corporateBody |
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associatedWith | Dogbeh-David, Richard. | person |
associatedWith | Dorsinville, Roger. | person |
associatedWith | Du Prey, Pierre | person |
associatedWith | Du Prey, Pierre. | person |
associatedWith | Fall, Kiné Kirama. | person |
associatedWith | Gauthier, Monique, 1950- | person |
associatedWith | Hazoumé, Paul. | person |
associatedWith | Hazoumé, Paul | person |
associatedWith | Hodge, Merle, 1944- | person |
associatedWith | John, Gisele | person |
associatedWith | John, Gisele. | person |
associatedWith | Juminer, Berténe. | person |
associatedWith | Juminer, Bertène | person |
associatedWith | Kanié, Anoma. | person |
associatedWith | Kanié, Anoma | person |
associatedWith | Kuoh-Moukoury, Manga | person |
associatedWith | Kuoh-Moukoury, Manga. | person |
associatedWith | Léopold Sédar Senghor Foundation. | corporateBody |
associatedWith | Léro, Etienne. | person |
associatedWith | Léro, Etienne | person |
associatedWith | Ligny, Michel. | person |
associatedWith | Lomami-Tshibamba, Paul, 1914-1985 | person |
associatedWith | Malonga, Jean. | person |
associatedWith | Miatlev, Adrian, 1910-1964. | person |
associatedWith | Morisseau-Leroy, Félix, 1912- | person |
associatedWith | Morisseau-Leroy, Félix, 1912- | person |
associatedWith | Nascimento, Abdias do, 1914-2011. | person |
associatedWith | Nnolim, Charles E. | person |
associatedWith | Pedroso, Regino, 1898- | person |
associatedWith | Phillips, Lucie Colvin, 1943- | person |
associatedWith | Picott, J. Rupert. | person |
associatedWith | Pobbi-Asamani, Kwadwo O | person |
associatedWith | Pobbi-Asamani, Kwadwo O. | person |
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associatedWith | Rouil, Marie-Thérèse. | person |
associatedWith | Rouil, Marie-Thérèse | person |
associatedWith | Schaffer, Matt. | person |
associatedWith | Senghor, Léopold Sédar, 1906-2001 | person |
associatedWith | Sibide, Mamby | person |
associatedWith | Sibide, Mamby. | person |
associatedWith | Stephenson, Elie, 1944- | person |
associatedWith | Thomas, Clive Yolande. | person |
associatedWith | Tirolien, Guy | person |
associatedWith | Troupe, Quincy. | person |
associatedWith | Warner, Keith Q | person |
associatedWith | Warner, Keith Q. | person |
Place Name | Admin Code | Country | |
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United States | |||
French Guiana | |||
West Indies, French | |||
French Guiana | |||
Haiti | |||
French Guiana |
Subject |
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African Americans |
African literature (French) |
African literature (French) |
Authors and publishers |
Authors, Martinican |
Authors, Senegalese |
Black author |
Blacks |
Blacks |
Blacks |
Blacks |
Blacks in literature |
Brazilian poetry |
Caribbean literature (French) |
Creole dialects, French |
Creole dialects, French |
French poetry |
French poetry |
French poetry |
Latin American literature |
Literature |
Negritude (Literary movement) |
Poets, Black |
Poets, French Guianese |
Poets, Guadeloupe |
Race awareness in literature |
Statesmen |
Teachers, Black |
Occupation |
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Activity |
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Person
Birth 1912-03-28
Death 1978-01-22
French
English,
French,
Portuguese