Pour un homme de ma race, comment prononcer ces mots sans une intense émotion.
“For a man of my race, how can one pronounce these words without profound emotion.”
Reflecting, as the grandson of a formerly enslaved man, on commemorating the abolition of slavery.
— Gaston Monnerville, French Guiana
Source: Gaston Monnerville, speech commemorating the centenary of the abolition of slavery, Sorbonne, Paris, 27 April 1948
More Proverbs from French Guiana
The turtle would fly if it had feathers.
People often claim they would achieve great things if only they had what they lack, an excuse for ambition that will never really be tested.
A distant drum sounds beautiful.
Things far away or belonging to others often seem more appealing than what a person already has.
Even if the dog sells its tools, it does not forget its trade.
A skill or piece of knowledge, once truly learned, stays with a person no matter what their circumstances become.
One hand washes the other.
People who help each other accomplish far more together than either could alone.
It is when the agouti runs that you see the strength of the dog.
True ability and character are revealed under pressure and testing, not in calm, easy moments.
The ox in front drinks the good water.
Whoever arrives first gets the best of what is available.