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Every year, increasing numbers of African-Americans are becoming aware of the segments of our history that have unfolded in Paris. From the late 18th century to the present day, African Americans have lived in Paris while pursuing their professional, political and/or artistic goals. And for the first time, an American university has organized a course - in Paris - to explore and to celebrate this tradition. This new program is the creation of the Department of African-American Studies at Syracuse University, and is part of the university's Division of International Programs Abroad.
Called "Paris Noir/Black Paris: Seminar in Literature, Culture and Contemporary Life", this extraordinary four-week summer course gathered undergraduate and graduate students from across the nation to experience living in Paris while delving into the experiences of African Americans in the City of Light. The seminar was designed to give students the opportunity to explore and experience the expanded notion of African-American Studies and African Diaspora, both past and present. Conceived in the spirit of a "jazz composition", the course was organized to convey diverse interpretations of the Paris Noir/Black Paris concept and theme. It allowed the students to consider Paris Noir/Black Paris from a variety of disciplinary stances and to pursue their particular interests.
Dr. Janis A. Mayes, Fisk University graduate, Fulbright scholar and confirmed Francophile, conceptualized and designed Paris Noir. Mayes is an Associate Professor in the Department of African-American Studies with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics (French). She is also a member of the Women's Studies faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse. She earned a certificate from the "Institute of Foreign Professors of French" from the Sorbonne in Paris, and has extensive research and travel experience abroad. Her areas of research are francophone African/Diaspora literatures, literary translation practice and theory, and international Black women's writing.
A diverse group of students applied for the program through Syracuse University's Division of International Programs Abroad (DIPA). Of the many students who applied, 18 gained admission and 12 were able to participate.
The nine women and three men selected were students or recent graduates from the following schools: Colby College, George Washington University, Grambling University, Macalester College, Spelman College and Syracuse University. They had...