André Laurendeau
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André Laurendeau (March 21, 1912 in Montreal — June 1, 1968 in Ottawa) was a novelist, playwright, essay writer, journalist and politician in Quebec, Canada.
Starting in 1933, Laurendeau and several friends founded the "Jeune-Canada" movement and contributed to the journal L'Action nationale owned by his father. While a member of Jeune-Canada, Laurendeau helped organize and spoke at protest rally entitled "Politcians and Jews". It was held in response to a protest against anti-Semitism in Germany held in Montreal, both rallies taking place in 1933. While claiming not to be anti-Semitic throughout their political career, Jeune-Canada's message of hatred was debated openly in the newspaper Le Devoir and it was not until the death of Hitler that the group died down. In 1963 Laurendeau wrote an article in the French edition of Maclean's magazine, which essentially denounced this period of his life as ignorant, youthful passion.[1]
In 1935, he left Quebec to study philosophy and social sciences in Paris. Upon returning to Quebec, he served as director of L'Action nationale from 1937 to 1943 and from 1949 to 1953.
In 1942, Laurendeau entered into politics in opposition to conscription, as a member of the Ligue pour la défense du Canada. He later took part in the founding of the center-left party Bloc populaire canadien, and soon became its provincial leader while Maxime Raymond was its federal leader. Laurendeau was a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec (MNA) from 1944 to 1948.
In 1947 Laurendeau became associate editor-in-chief of Le Devoir, and in 1957 became its editor-in-chief. As editor, he was known first for his battles against Maurice Duplessis, and later as a leading spokesman for the rising national identity of Quebec during the Quiet Revolution. His editorial column of November 18, 1958, Maurice Duplessis à l'Assemblée nationale: la théorie du roi nègre ("Maurice Duplessis at the National Assembly: the theory of the negro king") was widely cited by Quebecers of all political stripes for years afterwards. [2]
Laurendeau is known for having popularized the word "joual". From 1953 to 1961 he was the host of the television show Pays et Merveilles broadcast by Radio-Canada.
From 1963 until his death, Laurendeau served as co-chair, along with Davidson Dunton, of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, a position that brought him considerable criticism from his nationalist colleagues. The stress caused by this criticism was blamed by historian Charles Godin for Laurendeau's relatively early death at the age of 58.
In many of his publications Laurendeau attached particular importance to the education and future of youth. Schools are named in his honor in Saint-Hubert, in LaSalle, and in Ottawa.
[edit] References
- ^ Langlais, Jews and French QuebecersWildrid Laurier University Press, Waterloo, 1991.
- ^ Laurendeau, André. "Maurice Duplessis à l'Assemblée nationale: la théorie du roi nègre", Le Devoir, 18 November 1958. Retrieved on 2007-05-07.
