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African-American Expats
Many African-Americans left their country to escape the confines of racism, segregation and McCarthyism in the United States. As a result, an entirely new African-American subculture sprouted up in Europe, Africa and other countries abroad. A street in Paris is named after Josephine Baker, who found acceptance and fame in France that she couldn't achieve in the still-segregated United States. Marcus Garvey was a leader of the Back-to-Africa movement. And singer Nina Simone lived in several different countries, including Liberia, Switzerland, England and Barbados before eventually settling down in the South of France. Find out more about these African-American expats, and the new lives they made for themselves abroad, on Biography.com.
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See all African-American Expats (9)
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Marcus Garvey
- In these groups:
- African-American Expats
- Famous Leos
- Famous Civil Rights Activists
Marcus Garvey
Civil Rights Activist / 1887 - 1940
Marcus Garvey was a proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, inspiring the Nation of Islam and the Rastafarian movement.
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Nina Simone
- In these groups:
- African-American Expats
- African-American Biopics
- Famous Harlem Residents
Nina Simone
Civil Rights Activist, Pianist, Singer, Journalist / 1933 - 2003
Nina Simone sang a mix of jazz, blues and folk music in the 1950s and '60s. A civil rights activist, she wrote songs promoting the Civil Rights Movement.
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Richard Wright
- In these groups:
- African-American Expats
- Famous Black Writers
- Famous Virgoans
Richard Wright
Journalist, Author, Poet / 1908 - 1960
Pioneering African-American writer Richard Wright is best known for the classic texts Black Boy and Native Son.
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Langston Hughes
- In these groups:
- Famous Harlem Residents
- African-American Expats
- Famous Black Writers
Langston Hughes
Playwright, Poet / 1902 - 1967
Langston Hughes was an American poet, novelist, and playwright whose African-American themes made him a primary contributor to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s.
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Josephine Baker
- In these groups:
- African-American Expats
- Famous Jazz Musicians
- Famous Geminis
Josephine Baker
Civil Rights Activist, Dancer, Singer / 1906 - 1975
Josephine Baker was a dancer and singer who became wildly popular in France during the 1920s. She also devoted much of her life to fighting racism.
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James Baldwin
- In these groups:
- Famous Harlem Residents
- African-American Expats
- Famous Black Writers
James Baldwin
Writer / 1924 - 1987
James Baldwin was an essayist, playwright and novelist regarded as a highly insightful, iconic writer with works like The Fire Next Time and Another Country.
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