The Visits of Aimé Césaire and Léon-Gontran Damas in the Haitian Press and French Archives

Abstract Aimé Césaire, a poet from Martinique, travelled to Haiti in 1944, and Léon-Gontran Damas, a poet from French Guiana, visited Haiti in 1952 and 1964. How were these heralds of Negritude received in the first Black republic of the Americas? How did the racial issue, significant both locally and internationally, impact their visits? This article draws on specific sources, some of which are unpublished – including articles from the Haitian press, French diplomatic archives and public records from Martinique – to understand how this issue manifested itself locally, while also examining the influence of international conjunctures at very distinct times. From each poet’s feelings about their reception in Haiti, to the consideration given to debates about “race,” via an analysis of the interplay of actors grappling with racial stereotypes, this contribution explores the different ways in which the racial issue has manifested itself in Haiti.