Google celebrates Paulette Nardal in a doodle for her 125th birthday
The Google Doodle celebrates the 125th birthday of Franco-Martinican writer Paulette Nardal, who is considered one of the founders of Negritude, an intellectual movement produced by black artists and journalists who participated in the defense of their heritage culture and creating space in the predominant literary world for black voices, October 12, 2021. The Google doodle is represented by artist Jessica Coppet, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
As Wikipedia points out, Paulette Nardal was born on October 12, 1896 in Saint-Pierre, a French colonial town on the island of Martinique in the Martinican middle class. Nardal becomes a teacher and will finish her studies in Paris.
She was a French Martinican author, columnist, and one of the driving forces behind the advancement of black literary consciousness. She was one of the authors engaged in the production of the genre of Negritude and became acquainted with the French intellectuals of the Harlem Renaissance through her translations. She was the first black person to study at the Sorbonne and created with her sisters an influential literary salon Le Salon de Clamart, which aims to be an intellectual meeting place to reflect on the black condition.
Renowned for its conviviality and good taste, this very popular lounge allowed Nardal to bring together intelligent people to discuss and help each other. Researchers recognize this salon as the origin of the development of Negritude, which Nardal helped launch by composing articles of social commentary in the journal "La Revue du monde noir".
Another important moment in the life of Paulette Nardal occurs around the start of the Second World War: Nardal left Martinique for France, but she was mutilated when a submarine assaulted her boat.
A committed woman
Paulette Nardal's interest in France seeing her as a non-military war victim and survivor showcases the convergence of race, gender, disability and citizenship. This event ultimately inspired Nardal to establish associations and journals that empowered women to channel their energy into social betterment and witness.
In recognition of her work, Paulette Nardal was elected a delegate to the United Nations in 1946 and received the title of Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur in 1976, the highest honor in France.
