Meet Leopold Sedor Senghor, the first president of Senegal

Leopold Sedor Senghor was born 9thOctober,1906.He was a Senegalese poet, Politician and Cultural theorist who served as the first president of Senegal.

Meet Leopold Sedor Senghor, the first president of Senegal
In the year 1928, Senghor travelled from Senegal to France starting his post secondary education at Sarbonne but later went to the Louis Le Grand to finish his prep course for entrance at the Ecole Normale Superieure . After receiving his aggregation in 1935,he graduated from University of Paris where he served his aggregation in French Grammar. He was subsequently designated professor at the Universities of Tours and Paris, during the period of 1935-1945.

Senghor later studied at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes,and also studied with prominent social scientists such as Marcel Cohen, Marcel Mauss and Paul Rivet. It was at this that the Colonial capital coined the term and conceived the notion of Negritude, which was the response to the racism which was still prevalent in France.

After the second world War, Leopold took over the position of Dean of the Linguistic department with the Ecole Nationale de la France d’outre Mer to educate people on African emancipation,a position he held until 1960.

He advised by Lamine Gueye to be a member of the Assemblee Nationale Franchise, when colonies were granted the right to the represented by elected individual. He then resign from the French Section of workers international which gives support to social movements, because of his ambition and determination he won legislative elections in 1951.

He was re-elected in 1951 as an overseas member and was state Secretary to the council of President from 1955 to 1956 respectively.

He became the first African to serve as a member of the Academic Francaise and able to found his own political party which aimed at attaining independence in order for him to implement his aims and objectives to promote the socio economic development of Senegal.

His political party was known as Senegalese Democratic Bloc. He is regarded as one of the heroes in the history of African leadership because of his tremendous effort to end colonial movement.

Senghor in support Federalism for newly African countries that have attained independence as that time, since Federalism was not favoured by African countries, he decided to organised himself with Modibo Keita of Mali Federation to promote Federalism but it did not succeed in 1960.

Finally Senghor, gained independence for Senegal on 5th September,1960.

He is the composer of Senegalese National Anthem