Born in the
island
of Goree, Blaise Diagne was the first
Member of Parliament for Senegal in Paris
(1914). Convinced that Senegal rightly belonged
to the French Republic he covered West Africa
to levy troops in order to help the mother
land in danger : he thought this was necessary
if the Senegalese were to be equals of the
French.
Blaise Diagne was appointed Under-Secretary
of State for the French colonies in 1931.