The story of Blaise Diagne, a French defender of African interests

Blaise Adolphe Diagne was born October 13, 1872 on the island of Goree. He is of Lebou and Wolof ancestry. Son of Niokhor, a Sérère de Goree who was a marine cook, and Gnagna Preira, a Mandjaque native of Guinea-Bissau, Blaise Diagne, is born Gaiaye M'Baye Diagne. He was adopted very early by the Crespin family, a respected family of half-breeds from Gorée and St-Louis. It is his adoptive father, Adolphe Crespin, who will give him the name of Blaise.

He learns very early to read and write, enjoys a solid education that relies on indisputable intellectual qualities. He studied at the school of Gorée brothers, then at the secular school of St. Louis. He thus appears on the list of prize-winners of the secular school of Saint-Louis in August 1884.

Fellow of the government, he will continue his studies in France, in Aix-en-Provence. Sick, he returned to continue his studies at the high school brothers of Ploërmel (or Duval) then prepares in 1891 the competition entry into the public service in the Customs Service where the places reserved for Africans are quite few in number. 'time.

Blaise Diagne marries Marie Odette Villain. They will have four children including Adolphe, military doctor, Rolland, official in the Railways and Raoul, professional footballer and the first African footballer to be selected in the French team.