Title : Paris Noir: Black Expatriates in Paris and How They Got Here
link : Paris Noir: Black Expatriates in Paris and How They Got Here
Paris Noir: Black Expatriates in Paris and How They Got Here
By Tatiana Balabanis
Last week I had the pleasure of attending “Paris Noir” an event organized by Dr. Karen Young, professor of sociology at Clayton State University in Georgia. This event brought together a panel of African-American expatriates currently living in Paris. Each person shared stories of where they came from, where they’ve traveled, and how they ended up in Paris. Their stories were moving and motivational, enlightening and inspirational, touching and transformational.
The first speaker was Richard Allen. Richard, like many of the other speakers, is a man of many talents- photographer, singer, businessman, filmmaker, economist, and U.S. military veteran. He first ventured to Paris as a college student. He had completed his studies and in the time that he had before receiving his diploma he decided he would travel to Paris. “[The experience] was marvelous,” he recounted, and he’s been hooked ever since that first encounter with the city.
Not too long after, Richard was drafted in the U.S. military and was stationed in Belgium. It was “one of the best things that could have happened” he explained, because it afforded him the opportunity to visit the city frequently.
Richard Allen in front of one of his older photographs
Image courtesy of Tatiana Balabanis
It was in the heart of the fashion capital of the world that Richard’s photography began to take off. He started taking pictures at a very young age—his family would always make him take photos because he was the youngest. As an adolescent, he worked at a magazine and bought his first camera, which he later took with him to Morehouse College. He took pictures there as well, eventually becoming the yearbook photographer.
When Richard was in Paris, taking photographs was initially something he did at his leisure. He took head shots of American models who would ask for his services and was subsequently asked to photograph one of their fashion shows. Christian Dior liked Richard’s work and thus kick-started his career in fashion photography.
Richard worked for Dior for three years and Givenchy for nine and a half years. He also worked religiously for Essence magazine during that time. Among his many published assignments was a 43-page spread in Harper’s Bazaar.
After a while, Richard wanted another challenge and decided to go into corporate work. He became a director of project development with the company Results Unlimited, which relocated him to Minnesota.
Richard spoke about how he frequently wanted change and was always in search of a new challenge. When asked what steps he took to make these changes happen, he gave one single piece of advice: “Believe in yourself.”
One of Richard’s contemporary photographs
Image courtesy of Tatiana Balabanis
Next to take the floor was Joseph Langley. Joseph began his story with his first to France. As a high school student, he saw a flier at school for a trip to the Dordogne region of France and expressed interest to his mother. At the time, his family couldn’t afford the trip so he went to the program director and they agreed to pay for his flight. Joseph lightheartedly explained how he was basically famous because he was the only black person in the region. He went on to study theology and philosophy at the Université de Montpellier.
Back in the U.S., when Joseph was in search of a reason to come back to France and the friends he had made yearned for his returned as well, he asked to teach English at Montpellier. He worked at that occupation for some time. Then his life took an unconventional turn.
Joseph wanted to stay in France but didn’t know what his next move would be. He turned down offers from companies such as IBM and Coca Cola because he wanted something different; he wanted a new challenge. At a going-away party his friends threw for him, he was introduced to a man who said he could give Joseph a job that would let him stay in France a little longer and then allow him to travel across Europe.
Joseph knew when opportunity presented itself and took the job—he joined a circus! He traveled across Europe in a caravan, learning acrobatics along the way. After touring with the circus for two and a half years, he returned to France and studied literature at La Sorbonne in Paris.
Joseph wanted yet another challenge, but again didn’t quite know in what direction he wanted to go. One day, he found himself at the supermarket “surrounded by millionaires.” “Behind every product on these shelves is a millionaire,” he explained. And what began as an innocent shampoo purchase turned into next challenge he would face.
After writing a complaint letter out of frustration with the lack of parallel between L’Oreal’s marketing and the results of using their shampoo (specifically about how black hair wouldn’t look like Brooke Shields’ hair after one simple wash), he was offered a position as the head of black hair care marketing at L’Oreal. He worked there for 8 years.
At a later point in his life, Joseph went blind, first in one eye and then in both. He had corrective surgery and when his eyesight was restored, he began painting while in the hospital. The hospital had an art show and asked Joseph if he’d like to put his paintings on display to be sold at this show. He agreed and when all his works sold, he became a painter. Joseph is a multi-faceted artist — he is involved in music and singing as well as visual arts.
As the afternoon progressed, other expats such as Randy Garrett, Linda Lee Hopkins, and Ursuline Kairson recounted stories of their journey from America to Paris, what brought them there and what made them stay. Randy shared nomadic tales of driving from Paris to New Delhi and hitchhiking across Northern Africa. Ursuline related how she worked in a cabaret in Paris for 18 years and why, though she was physically living there, it took her nearly two decades to mentally make Paris her home.
The speakers were asked about their experience with discrimination and time and time again they all shared how comfortable they feel here because they never experienced the racism that saturated (and continues to permeate) American society. “I was a black man for the French, but not the same black man I was in America,” Joseph explained. He articulated the lack of a “racial barrier” in France, and the others echoed this sentiment.
Lastly, the expats gave some advice to the students about how to make things happen, about throwing caution to the wind and going after what you want. “You’ve just got to come and do it!” Randy exclaimed. “You don’t know ‘til you go.” Richard eased our fears by simply telling us “When you live here, you’ll learn to survive.” Joseph also made it clear that when he came to France, he wasn’t trying to escape from anything in America, he was just trying to explore something new. This is something he adamantly encouraged us all to do.
Front row, left to right: Ursuline Kairson, Sandy Allen, Gwen Sampe, Tatiana Balabanis, Linda Lee Hopkins
Second row, left to right: Richard Allen, Joseph Langley, Norman Powell
Third row: unidentified professor
Image courtesy of Tatiana Balabanis
The afternoon ended with refreshments and chatter among the students and the speakers. We were also fortunate enough to be able to listen to the beautiful voices of all the speakers who sing. Linda Lee Hopkins, Joseph Langley, and Richard Allen sang solos and later invited us to sing some well-known gospels songs with them. Positive energy radiated from the room when everyone sang together and the feeling of community was incomparable.
Tatiana Balabanis is a rising junior at Stanford University. She is currently serving as a summer intern for the Wells International Foundation.
************
If you like this posting, share it with your friends by using one of the social media links below!
Last week I had the pleasure of attending “Paris Noir” an event organized by Dr. Karen Young, professor of sociology at Clayton State University in Georgia. This event brought together a panel of African-American expatriates currently living in Paris. Each person shared stories of where they came from, where they’ve traveled, and how they ended up in Paris. Their stories were moving and motivational, enlightening and inspirational, touching and transformational.
The first speaker was Richard Allen. Richard, like many of the other speakers, is a man of many talents- photographer, singer, businessman, filmmaker, economist, and U.S. military veteran. He first ventured to Paris as a college student. He had completed his studies and in the time that he had before receiving his diploma he decided he would travel to Paris. “[The experience] was marvelous,” he recounted, and he’s been hooked ever since that first encounter with the city.
Not too long after, Richard was drafted in the U.S. military and was stationed in Belgium. It was “one of the best things that could have happened” he explained, because it afforded him the opportunity to visit the city frequently.
Image courtesy of Tatiana Balabanis
It was in the heart of the fashion capital of the world that Richard’s photography began to take off. He started taking pictures at a very young age—his family would always make him take photos because he was the youngest. As an adolescent, he worked at a magazine and bought his first camera, which he later took with him to Morehouse College. He took pictures there as well, eventually becoming the yearbook photographer.
When Richard was in Paris, taking photographs was initially something he did at his leisure. He took head shots of American models who would ask for his services and was subsequently asked to photograph one of their fashion shows. Christian Dior liked Richard’s work and thus kick-started his career in fashion photography.
Richard worked for Dior for three years and Givenchy for nine and a half years. He also worked religiously for Essence magazine during that time. Among his many published assignments was a 43-page spread in Harper’s Bazaar.
After a while, Richard wanted another challenge and decided to go into corporate work. He became a director of project development with the company Results Unlimited, which relocated him to Minnesota.
Richard spoke about how he frequently wanted change and was always in search of a new challenge. When asked what steps he took to make these changes happen, he gave one single piece of advice: “Believe in yourself.”
Image courtesy of Tatiana Balabanis
Next to take the floor was Joseph Langley. Joseph began his story with his first to France. As a high school student, he saw a flier at school for a trip to the Dordogne region of France and expressed interest to his mother. At the time, his family couldn’t afford the trip so he went to the program director and they agreed to pay for his flight. Joseph lightheartedly explained how he was basically famous because he was the only black person in the region. He went on to study theology and philosophy at the Université de Montpellier.
Back in the U.S., when Joseph was in search of a reason to come back to France and the friends he had made yearned for his returned as well, he asked to teach English at Montpellier. He worked at that occupation for some time. Then his life took an unconventional turn.
Joseph wanted to stay in France but didn’t know what his next move would be. He turned down offers from companies such as IBM and Coca Cola because he wanted something different; he wanted a new challenge. At a going-away party his friends threw for him, he was introduced to a man who said he could give Joseph a job that would let him stay in France a little longer and then allow him to travel across Europe.
Joseph knew when opportunity presented itself and took the job—he joined a circus! He traveled across Europe in a caravan, learning acrobatics along the way. After touring with the circus for two and a half years, he returned to France and studied literature at La Sorbonne in Paris.
Joseph wanted yet another challenge, but again didn’t quite know in what direction he wanted to go. One day, he found himself at the supermarket “surrounded by millionaires.” “Behind every product on these shelves is a millionaire,” he explained. And what began as an innocent shampoo purchase turned into next challenge he would face.
After writing a complaint letter out of frustration with the lack of parallel between L’Oreal’s marketing and the results of using their shampoo (specifically about how black hair wouldn’t look like Brooke Shields’ hair after one simple wash), he was offered a position as the head of black hair care marketing at L’Oreal. He worked there for 8 years.
At a later point in his life, Joseph went blind, first in one eye and then in both. He had corrective surgery and when his eyesight was restored, he began painting while in the hospital. The hospital had an art show and asked Joseph if he’d like to put his paintings on display to be sold at this show. He agreed and when all his works sold, he became a painter. Joseph is a multi-faceted artist — he is involved in music and singing as well as visual arts.
As the afternoon progressed, other expats such as Randy Garrett, Linda Lee Hopkins, and Ursuline Kairson recounted stories of their journey from America to Paris, what brought them there and what made them stay. Randy shared nomadic tales of driving from Paris to New Delhi and hitchhiking across Northern Africa. Ursuline related how she worked in a cabaret in Paris for 18 years and why, though she was physically living there, it took her nearly two decades to mentally make Paris her home.
The speakers were asked about their experience with discrimination and time and time again they all shared how comfortable they feel here because they never experienced the racism that saturated (and continues to permeate) American society. “I was a black man for the French, but not the same black man I was in America,” Joseph explained. He articulated the lack of a “racial barrier” in France, and the others echoed this sentiment.
Lastly, the expats gave some advice to the students about how to make things happen, about throwing caution to the wind and going after what you want. “You’ve just got to come and do it!” Randy exclaimed. “You don’t know ‘til you go.” Richard eased our fears by simply telling us “When you live here, you’ll learn to survive.” Joseph also made it clear that when he came to France, he wasn’t trying to escape from anything in America, he was just trying to explore something new. This is something he adamantly encouraged us all to do.
Second row, left to right: Richard Allen, Joseph Langley, Norman Powell
Third row: unidentified professor
Image courtesy of Tatiana Balabanis
The afternoon ended with refreshments and chatter among the students and the speakers. We were also fortunate enough to be able to listen to the beautiful voices of all the speakers who sing. Linda Lee Hopkins, Joseph Langley, and Richard Allen sang solos and later invited us to sing some well-known gospels songs with them. Positive energy radiated from the room when everyone sang together and the feeling of community was incomparable.
Tatiana Balabanis is a rising junior at Stanford University. She is currently serving as a summer intern for the Wells International Foundation.
Entrée to Black Paris!™ is a Discover Paris! blog.
If you like this posting, share it with your friends by using one of the social media links below!
Thus articles Paris Noir: Black Expatriates in Paris and How They Got Here
that is all articles Paris Noir: Black Expatriates in Paris and How They Got Here This time, hopefully can provide benefits to you all. Okay, see you in another article post.
You are now reading the article Paris Noir: Black Expatriates in Paris and How They Got Here the link address https://letsexploretravels.blogspot.com/2017/08/paris-noir-black-expatriates-in-paris.html
0 Response to "Paris Noir: Black Expatriates in Paris and How They Got Here"
Post a Comment