« Ils ont choisi la France” (Ed Nouveau Monde) tells the story of five iconic black American figures that shaped the twentieth century’s world cultural scene: author James Baldwin, musicians Nina Simone and Miles Davis, film director Melvin Van Peebles and singer Joséphine Baker, who left the United States in search of a better life in France.
« Despite the difficulties experienced by these artists in France, they were seen first and foremost as creators, as the editor explains in his introduction to the book: « Van Peebles changed the course of cinema; Miles Davis changed the world of jazz; James Baldwin, once in France, was able to write about what it meant to be black in America; Nina Simone and Josephine Baker used drama to awaken people’s consciences. Fame gave these artists a strong voice in the civil rights movement in their country of origin”.
Yasmina Jaafar is the founder of the website: laruchemedia.com
