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Senghor: Writings on Politics brings Léopold Sédar Senghor’s most vital essays, speeches, and political writings to English-language readers for the first time. Spanning the colonial and postcolonial years between 1937 and 1971, this volume captures Senghor’s evolution from a pioneering poet and cofounder of Négritude to the president of Senegal as he grappled with the complexities of postcolonial identity, governance, and cultural hybridity. Senghor’s reflections on topics ranging from federalism and decolonization to Francophonie reveal his commitment to weaving African and European cultural threads into a vision of global solidarity in ways that resonate with contemporary debates on race, culture, and politics. Inviting readers to engage with a seminal figure whose legacy continues to inspire new ways of thinking about freedom, independence, and coexistence, this landmark book furthers our understanding of one of the twentieth century’s most influential cultural thinkers.
Price: $28.95
Pages: 224
Publisher: Duke University Press
Imprint: Duke University Press
Series: Theory in Forms
Publication Date:
11 November 2025
Trim Size: 9.00 X 6.00 in
ISBN: 9781478032847
Format: Paperback
BISACs:
“Demonstrating the resilience and currency of Léopold Sédar Senghor’s singular genius, this important collection represents the key philosophical, poetic, and existential moments in the long life of the poet-president and pillar of the Négritude movement. The translation of these essays into English could not have come at a better time, when the challenges of democracy and sustainable development are at the center of debates in Africa.”—Manthia Diawara, author of, African Film: New Forms of Aesthetics and Politics
“Léopold Sédar Senghor’s prose, political and philosophical essays, and social commentary have been long neglected. This volume provides insight into Senghor’s political thought and his political life as president of newly independent Senegal—the poet as statesman. Scholars of African and African Diaspora studies, colonialism and postcolonialism, and Francophone studies will overwhelming welcome this book.”—Donna Jones, author of, The Racial Discourses of Life Philosophy: Négritude, Vitalism, and Modernity
"Ripert’s book not only honors the legacy of Senghor, but also attests to the enduring global interest he continues to inspire, particularly beyond the boundaries of the Francophone world and strictly cultural discourse."—Francois H. Manga, Contemporary Political Theory
“Léopold Sédar Senghor’s prose, political and philosophical essays, and social commentary have been long neglected. This volume provides insight into Senghor’s political thought and his political life as president of newly independent Senegal—the poet as statesman. Scholars of African and African Diaspora studies, colonialism and postcolonialism, and Francophone studies will overwhelming welcome this book.”—Donna Jones, author of, The Racial Discourses of Life Philosophy: Négritude, Vitalism, and Modernity
"Ripert’s book not only honors the legacy of Senghor, but also attests to the enduring global interest he continues to inspire, particularly beyond the boundaries of the Francophone world and strictly cultural discourse."—Francois H. Manga, Contemporary Political Theory
Léopold Sédar Senghor (1906–2001) was a poet, philosopher, and the first president of Senegal.
Yohann C. Ripert is Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies at Stetson University.
Yohann C. Ripert is Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies at Stetson University.
Translator's Introduction / Yohann C. Ripert ix
1. The Problem of Culture in French West Africa 1
2. What the Black Man Brings 13
3. Marxism and Humanism 31
4. Negro-American Poetry 47
5. For a Federalist Solution 65
6. Like the Manatees Go Drink at the Source 77
7. Balkanization or Federation 87
8. The Fodéba Keita African Ballet 91
9. From Federation to the Civilization of the Universal 97
10. Negritude Is a Humanism of the Twentieth Century 105
11. Francophonie as Culture 115
12. For a Senegalese Tapestry 127
13. The Problematic of Negritude 131
Acknowledgments 151
Bibliography 153
Index 167
1. The Problem of Culture in French West Africa 1
2. What the Black Man Brings 13
3. Marxism and Humanism 31
4. Negro-American Poetry 47
5. For a Federalist Solution 65
6. Like the Manatees Go Drink at the Source 77
7. Balkanization or Federation 87
8. The Fodéba Keita African Ballet 91
9. From Federation to the Civilization of the Universal 97
10. Negritude Is a Humanism of the Twentieth Century 105
11. Francophonie as Culture 115
12. For a Senegalese Tapestry 127
13. The Problematic of Negritude 131
Acknowledgments 151
Bibliography 153
Index 167