At the Centre Culturel Francophone de Kigali, the exhibition “Noir entre peinture et histoire” (Black between painting and history) is being held. It tells the forgotten stories of Blacks in Europe. It shows their presence on the old continent well before the 20th century under images other than slavery.
The exhibition “Black between painting and history” initiated by Tamandra Geny, differs from the history of slavery more known in the “Black-White” relations before the colonial period. It aims to show other histories of Blacks in Europe.
“Not all black people in Europe were slaves,” says Tamandra, in charge of cultural programming and communication at the Centre Culturel Francophone (CCF). “There are black people as early as the 15th century who have distinguished themselves in European history,” she says
Paintings displayed on boards in the room opposite the “Bistrot de Kigali” illustrate many “other stories” of black people in Europe.
Black people fought for France
After the First World War, there was what is known as the whitewashing of the army. This consisted of erasing the role of the so-called “Senegalese” riflemen in history. Yet more than 126,000 of them defended France.
“It’s important to bring them back to the forefront because they have been largely erased from history,” says Tamandra, who has a master’s degree in history. She made sure to select a painting of black combatants.
It shows the portrait of General Thomas Dumas, a mestizo born in 1762 to a planter father and a slave mother. As commander of the Alpine army at the head of 45,000 men, he won decisive victories against the Austro-Sardinian army.
Blacks held political positions
This exhibition recalls the existence of Black deputies in France from the 18th century. They made possible the first abolition of slavery.
Learned black people distinguished themselves from the scoundrel. This is the case of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, who came from a Muslim family in West Africa. When he arrived in London in 1733, he was recognized as a deeply pious and educated man. He mixed with intellectual high society. He was introduced to the Court. He is redeemed from slavery.
One sees religious like Father Jean Pierre Moussa ordained as a priest in September 1840. That same year, on 22 November, he had the honour of celebrating a mass before the King of France at the Château de Fontainebleau.
In Venice, Italy, around 1500, there were black gondoliers. They rowed boats on their own account. They were former slaves who had become part of Venetian society…
Tamandra Geny was inspired by the book “Noir entre peinture et histoire” by historians Naïl Ver-Ndoye and Grégoire Fauconnier. This exhibition was launched on 7 October and will end on 27 November 2021.
Gérard Rugambwa
