Femme Noire, Femme Africaine (Black Woman, African Woman)

Yesterday I saw Francine, our beginner seamstress teacher, in the HEALing Arts room and complimented her beautiful new black hair and black outfit. She responded, “Femme Noire, Femme Africaine. Ni miye!” She wanted me to take this picture of her so people would see who she is: “Black Woman, African Woman. That is me!” and that she is proud of it!

The women in the room were giggling and chanting with her “Femme Noire, Femme Africaine!

Later Francine explained to me the source of this saying.

"Black Woman, African woman. Camaralaye was an African who went to Europe to do long studies. He wrote this letter to his mother, which I learned in elementary school in 1986:

« Femme Noire, Femme Africaine, Ô toi ma mère, je pense à toi. Ô dama, ô ma mère! Toi qui m’allaita. Toi qui me porta sur le dos, toi qui la première, m’ouvrit les yeux, ô prodige de la terre, je pense à toi. Femme de champs, femme de la rivière, femme de grande fleuve, je pense à toi. Femme de la résignation, je pense à toi. Ô toi ma mère, merci, merci pour tout ce que tu fû pour moi, ton fils si loin, si prêt de toi. D’après, Camaralaye, enfant noir. »

“Black Woman, African Woman, Oh you my mother, I think of you. Oh my dear, my dear mother! You who breast-fed me. You who carried me on your back, you the first, who opened my eyes, oh prodigy of the earth, I think of you. Woman of the field, woman of the stream, woman of the great river, I think of you. Woman of resignation, I think of you. Oh you, my mother, thank you, thank you for all that you did for me, your son so far, so near to you.From there,Camaralaye, black son.”