Thriving While Black in Paris
“I’m looking forward to letting Black women know what life is like in Paris.”
SAN BERNARDINO CALIF. Katherine Dameron, a multi-certified leadership and motivational coach whose client roster has included the likes of 3M, Pfizer, and Herman Miller, is coming to San Bernardino for Black History Month to give a series of talks about living as an expatriate in Paris.
“I’m looking forward to letting Black women know what life is like in Paris,” said. Dameron, “and I am happy to repeat what Richard Wright once said, ‘There is more freedom in one block of Paris than all of the United States for a Black man.'”
Dameron was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and moved to Paris when she was young to study the French language and culture and was welcomed by the locals. She found that racism does exist there, but it is a very different kind. In Paris, “American Blacks are at the top of the racial hierarchy,” said Dameron.
The French have demonstrated over and over again their love for American Blacks. The wild success of Miles Davis on tour there is one famous example. “And my own experiences there is another,” said Dameron.
The history of American Blacks finding respect and admiration in Paris goes back to Thomas Jefferson’s consort Sally Hemmings. Josephine Baker became Europe’s first superstar in the 1920s there. In modern times, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and Beauford Delaney all found a receptive audience in France.
“American Blacks have come to Paris to feel safe, feel recognized, develop their talents, eat, work and love as they desire…to thrive!” said Dameron. “I have two loves: Paris and the country of my birth.”
“I want to share my experiences with Black women and let them know how they, too, can experience the kind of welcoming that I have had and perhaps inspire them to go for a visit themselves. That’s why I have prepared a 45-minute presentation that I will be happy to deliver to any group that would care to hear what I have to say,” said Dameron.
Bookings can be made by calling Carl Dameron at (909) 534-9500.
About Kathleen Dameron
Kathleen’s strong facilitation skills and her highly flexible approach enable her to facilitate large groups or provide one-on-one coaching, as the client’s needs dictate. In addition to her specialty in multicultural and multilingual situations, she is also experienced in designing and delivering experiential-based, professionally targeted interventions, e.g., leadership development, organizational development, and increasing multicultural skills.
Kathleen is certified as a coach by the International Coaching Federation and certified in Team Management Systems©, Situational Leadership II©, Coaching & Modeling, Success Insights©, Self-Relations, and The International Profiler©. She is a Master-level NLP Neurolinguistic programmer.
Representative clients include 3M, AGF, Alcan, Axe, Rio-Tinto, Aerospatiale, BNP Paribas, Faurecia, CDA (No.1 in ski resorts), Delphi, Essilor, Herman Miller, Lima grain, LVMH (Louis Vuitton) MBDA, Pfizer, PSA (makers of Peugeot & Citroen automobiles), Thales, Thomson Multimedia, Tyco Electronics, and Veolia. Kathleen teaches at ESSEC (leading French business school) in the Executive MBA program, MG, and the Maître en Stratégieat des Affaires Internationales (MS SIAI), as well as programs specifically designed for individual companies.
Kathleen, born and raised in America, has dual American and French nationality. She was trained at American and French universities in both Cross-Cultural Studies & Communications and Social and Economic Administration. She trains, facilitates, and coaches in English, French, and Spanish.
Photo Caption:
Katherine Dameron
Tags: 3M, Aerospatiale, AGF, Alcan, and The International Profiler©, Axe, BNP Paribas, CDA (No.1 in ski resorts), Coaching & Modeling, Delphi, English, Essilor, Faurecia, French, Herman Miller, International Coaching Federation and certified in Team Management Systems©, Kathleen Dameron, Lima grain, LVMH (Louis Vuitton) MBDA, Pfizer, PSA (makers of Peugeot & Citroen automobiles), Rio-Tinto, Self-Relations, Situational Leadership II©, Spanish, Success Insights©, Thales, Thomson Multimedia, Tyco Electronics, Veolia