70e anniversaire du Premier Congrès des écrivains et artistes noirs @ Galerie Soufflot, Paris, France: Assoukrou Aké

An anniversary bringing 1956 and 2026 into dialogue...

In 1956, Présence Africaine organized in Paris the First Congress of Black Writers and Artists, a historic gathering that brought together intellectuals, writers, and artists from Africa, the Americas, and the Caribbean to discuss major questions surrounding culture, emancipation, and freedom.

Seventy years later, Présence Africaine and the African Cultural Community are commemorating this landmark event at the Sorbonne through a series of highlights: the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, an exhibition, public discussions, and a symposium.

This 70th anniversary provides an opportunity to revisit the intellectual and cultural legacy of the 1956 Congress, while also exploring how its struggles, ideas, and ambitions resonate with younger generations today.

Transmission, creativity, media, Afro-diasporic youth, contemporary forms of engagement, and the representation of African and Black people will be at the heart of this programme.

The organizing committee brings together, among others, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, a collective of women scholars and researchers, Tamandra Geny, the Institute of African Worlds (IMAF), and Sarah Frioux-Salgas from the Musée du quai Branly–Jacques Chirac. Présence Africaine is contributing to the historical section of the exhibition, as well as to the presentation of archival films and documentaries.