"I Wasn't Black. I Was a Foreigner"
Today's History Lesson: How Black American Icons Found Freedom by Leaving Home
They left everything behind to escape America's "fury of the color problem" - and found success, peace, and recognition that their homeland denied them
The Great Black Exodus You Never Learned About
Throughout American history, some of the nation's most brilliant Black minds and talents made a radical choice: to leave the country of their birth behind. Seeking escape from systemic racism, creative liberation, and the simple dignity of being seen as fully human, these remarkable individuals found in exile what America refused them - freedom and opportunity. From the Jazz Age Paris that embraced Josephine Baker to the Switzerland that welcomed Tina Turner as a citizen, these stories reveal a powerful truth: sometimes, leaving America was the most American thing these visionaries could do.
Their journeys weren't just personal quests but powerful statements that challenged America to confront its failures. As we explore their stories, we discover not just what these icons gained abroad, but what America lost in driving them away.
It's worth noting that the very choice these expatriates (or immigrants, take your pick) exercised - to stay or leave on their own terms - stands in stark contrast to the millions of Africans who were forcibly brought to American shores in chains during centuries of the transatlantic slave trade, highlighting how the freedom to choose one's home remains a profound privilege denied to their ancestors.
Artists and Performers
Josephine Baker (1906-1975)
Destination: France
Left the U.S. in the 1920s to pursue a performance career in Paris
Became one of Europe's most popular entertainers and later a French citizen
Worked as a spy for the French Resistance during World War II
Received France's highest military honor, the Croix de Guerre
Nina Simone (1933-2003)
Destinations: Liberia, Switzerland, France
Left the U.S. in 1970, first moving to Barbados, then Liberia
Later settled in Switzerland and France
Cited racial inequality and dissatisfaction with the music industry as reasons for leaving
Continued performing internationally until she died in France
Tina Turner (1939-2023)
Destination: Switzerland
Migrated to Switzerland in 1994 and became a Swiss citizen in 2013
Renounced her American citizenship
Cited the peaceful Swiss lifestyle and her relationship with German music executive Erwin Bach as reasons for relocating
Writers and Intellectuals
James Baldwin (1924-1987)
Destination: France
First moved to Paris in 1948 at age 24
Wrote many of his major works while living abroad
Said of his expatriation: "I left America because I doubted my ability to survive the fury of the color problem here."
Split his later years between France and the United States
Richard Wright (1908-1960)
Destination: France
Moved to Paris in 1946
Became friends with existentialist thinkers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir
Continued writing about racial issues in America while living abroad
Remained in Paris until his death
W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963)
Destination: Ghana
Moved to Ghana in 1961 at age 93
Became a citizen of Ghana at the invitation of President Kwame Nkrumah
Worked on the Encyclopedia Africana project
Died in Ghana in 1963, one day before the March on Washington
Athletes
Jack Johnson (1878-1946)
Destinations: Europe and Mexico
First Black heavyweight boxing champion
Left the U.S. in 1913 to escape racially motivated legal troubles
Lived in exile for seven years
Eventually returned to the U.S. in 1920
Serena Williams (b. 1981) and Venus Williams (b. 1980)
Destination: France
While maintaining U.S. citizenship, both sisters have owned homes in Paris
Serena has spoken about her love for France and studied French
Both have used France as a training base during parts of their careers
Musicians
Sidney Bechet (1897-1959)
Destination: France
Jazz saxophonist and clarinetist who moved to France in 1951
Became a national celebrity in France
Married a French woman and opened a music school in Paris
Died in France on his 62nd birthday
Paul Robeson (1898-1976)
Destinations: Various (USSR, UK)
Actor, athlete, bass-baritone concert singer
Lived abroad extensively during the 1930s, including in the UK and USSR
Political activism and criticism of American racism led to passport revocation during McCarthyism
Eventually returned to the U.S. in his later years
Dexter Gordon (1923-1990)
Destination: Denmark and France
Jazz saxophonist who moved to Europe in 1962
Lived in Copenhagen and Paris for 14 years
Found greater appreciation for jazz in Europe
His return to the U.S. in 1976 was considered a major jazz event
Modern Expatriates
Ta-Nehisi Coates (b. 1975)
Destination: France
Lived in Paris with his family temporarily
Wrote about his experiences as a Black American in Paris
Has returned to the U.S. but continues to write about race relations
Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) (b. 1973)
Destinations: South Africa, others
Rapper and actor who left the U.S. in 2013
Has lived in various countries including South Africa
Cited political and social concerns about the U.S. as reasons for leaving
Finding Freedom Abroad
For many prominent Black American expatriates, living abroad provided a profound sense of freedom and relief from the constant pressure of American racism. James Baldwin eloquently captured this sentiment when describing his life in France: "It was a more peaceful life. I wasn't black. I was a foreigner...I was not even a foreigner. I was a stranger, which gave me a kind of freedom I had never had before."
This experience of being seen first as an individual rather than being reduced to a racial category was transformative for many expatriates. While racism certainly exists globally, the different historical and social contexts of other countries often allowed Black Americans to escape the specific weight of American racial history.
Legacy and Impact
These expatriates' stories highlight various motivations for leaving America, from escaping racial discrimination to seeking artistic freedom or personal reinvention. Many found recognition, respect, and opportunities abroad that were denied to them in the United States.
Their experiences reveal how racism and limited opportunities pushed talented Black Americans to seek fulfillment elsewhere, representing both a profound critique of American society and a significant cultural loss for the nation. At the same time, these individuals became cultural ambassadors who shared Black American art, music, literature, and perspectives with the world.
While conditions have improved for Black Americans since the early 20th century when the first wave of expatriates left, the tradition continues today with contemporary figures still choosing to build lives abroad for various personal, political, and professional reasons.
A Legacy That Challenges Us All
These stories of Black American expatriates aren't just historical footnotes - they're mirrors that reflect both America's failures and its unfulfilled promise. They challenge us to imagine what cultural treasures might have flourished had these visionaries found the freedom they sought within their homeland rather than beyond its shores.
As Baldwin wrote, "American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it."
The next time you hear Josephine Baker's music, read James Baldwin's prose, or admire the strength of Tina Turner, consider the complex patriotism in their departures - both a profound criticism and a profound hope for what America could become. Their journeys invite us to build a country that no longer forces its brightest lights to choose between their homeland and their humanity.
What remarkable contributions might we retain today if we created the conditions for all Americans to flourish? This is the question these expatriates leave us with - and the work they challenge us to continue.
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