Teaching about Francophone trailblazers who have made significant contributions to society is a beautiful way to weave together history and culture. In this blog post, I introduce you to 5 remarkable Francophone individuals who have made significant contributions and left lasting legacies.

Why should you teach about Francophone trailblazers in your French classroom?

Teaching Francophone history is an absolute must. French class shouldn’t just be grammar and verbs. Students need to have a basic understanding of the history connected to the language. This very much so includes teaching about Francophone history and famous Francophone individuals.

How can you teach about Francophone trailblazers in your French classroom?

There are so many ways to teach about Francophone trailblazers in class and it doesn’t have to be a unit.

Here are some ideas:

• Set up a French bulletin board with French classroom posters of these Francophone trailblazers
• Choose one Famous Francophone a week and learn about that figure in every class
• Watch a movie or read a book about a famous Francophone individual
• Create a unit for your advanced French class where they learn about Francophone pioneers and their contributions

Here are some additional resources that may be helpful for you

• In this blog post on French picture book ideas for Black History Month, I have shared books on some of these figures.
• Duolingo also did a multi-episode podcast on Joséphine Baker.
• Read this heartbreaking graphic novel about Louis Riel’s life and the treatment he experienced at the hands of the John A. MacDonald Canadian government. This is an absolute must if you are new to the history of the horrible treatment early French Canadians experienced. This is a graphic novel read in Canadian Social Studies classes and it can definitely be read in French classes as well!
• I have created this beautiful set of French posters on these Francophone trailblazers. You can grab your copy here.

Famous Francophone Pioneer #1 – Joséphine Baker

Josephine Baker was born in 1906 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was a trailblazing dancer, entertainer, and civil rights activist. After experiencing discrimination in the entertainment industry in the United States, Baker moved to France where she was received with much love.

She became an icon known for her energetic dancing. Baker became the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture, Siren of the Tropics. During World War II, she spied on German troop movements and military installations. Baker also was an advocate for the civil rights movement, alongside prominent leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. Josephine Baker passed away in 1975 in Paris.

Famous Francophone Pioneer #2 – Léopold Senghor

Léopold Sédar Senghor was born in 1906 in Senegal. He was a renowned poet, philosopher, and politician. Senghor became Senegal’s first president following its independence from France in 1960.

He co-founded the Black consciousness movement called Négritude. Senghor played a pivotal role in promoting African culture and identity during his lifetime. Senghor also became the first black writer elected to the Académie française. Leopold Sédar Senghor passed away in 2001 in Verson, France.

Famous Francophone Pioneer #3 – Simone Veil

Simone Veil was born in 1927 in France to a Jewish family. During World War II, Veil and her family faced persecution at the hands of the Nazis, with Veil surviving the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

She was a trailblazing politician and women’s rights advocate. Veil became the first woman to be elected President of the European Parliament in 1979. During her career as a politician, she also served as Health Minister of France and was instrumental in legalizing abortion in the country in 1975. Simone Veil passed away in 2017 in Paris.

Famous Francophone Pioneer #4 – Louis Riel

Louis Riel, born in 1844 in the Red River Settlement (present-day Manitoba, Canada), was a Métis leader and political figure. Riel played a pivotal role in advocating for the rights of the Métis people, leading the Red River Resistance in 1869-1870 and the North-West Rebellion in 1885.

Riel played a major role in the resistance against the Canadian government’s encroachment on Métis land and rights during the Red River Rebellion of 1869–1870. Lastly, Louis Riel was the founder of the province of Manitoba.

Famous Francophone Pioneer #4 – Paulette Nardal

Born in 1896 in Martinique, Paulette Nardal was a trailblazing Black Francophone woman. A writer and journalist, she played a key role in co-founding the French Black consciousness movement known as Négritude.

In 1920, Nardal was the first Black person to attend Sorbonne University. In Paris, she and her sisters set up a literary salon that delved into the experiences of the African diaspora. Paulette Nardal passed away in 1985 in Fort-de-France, Martinique.

Fun fact, Nardal was honoured during the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony along with many other remarkable French women!

Teach about these Francophone trailblazers with these inspiring French classroom posters

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