What Is Negritude?
Negritude is traditionally referenced as a cultural and literary movement that originated in France in the 1930s and was a precursor to the later Pan-African and Civil Rights Movements. “Negritude” has origins further back than that in 1932, when Black students in Paris combined the French words "Nègre" and "-itude" which translates to "Blackness". The term is a slogan of a cultural movement that influenced many Black writers, especially in the French-speaking world. The negritude movement then consisted of Black African and Caribbean writers and intellectuals who came together, travailing to shape African/Caribbean cultural and political identity. The term “Negritude” was first coined by Martiniquan poet and writer Aimé Césaire in his book, Cahier d’un retour au pays natal (Notebook of a Return to the Native Land, 1939), meaning "the simple recognition of the fact that one is Black, the acceptance of this fact and of our destiny as Blacks, of our history and culture." The negritude movement aimed to reclaim and celebrate Black African and Caribbean identity, culture and history in the face of colonial oppression and racism.
Negritude writers sought to assert the worth and dignity of Black people and culture to rebuff the notion that Black people were inferior to other races. They celebrated the beauty and richness of Black African/Caribbean culture and emphasized the importance of preserving and promoting this culture. Negritude writers also critiqued colonialism’s effects on Black people and called for the end of colonialism and the establishment of independent Black states. Many of the writers associated with negritude went on to play critical roles in the independence movements of African and Caribbean nations.
Today, Negritude is defined as “the quality or fact of being of Black African origin” or “the affirmation or consciousness of the value of Black or African culture, heritage and identity.” We grind down these definitions by saying that Negritude is simply the state of being Black. This state varies from person to person in the Diaspora, as Black people are not a monolith, but as Black people, we share a lot of history, experiences, tastes and attitudes. It is our aim to continue the legacy of the Negritude movement as a cultural and literary movement that sought to reclaim and celebrate Black identity across the Diaspora. Though MeWeFree is primarily a Black-American brand, we hope that everything offered through the brand radiates negritude and promotes Black pride throughout the Diaspora!
