Gerty Archimède made history in 1939 when she became the first woman to be admitted to the Guadeloupe bar. Often referred to as France’s first black lawyer, she was a pioneering figure in female emancipation, social justice and political commitment in the French West Indies. Born on April 26, 1909 in Morne-à-l’Eau, she devoted her life to defending women, workers and the oppressed, while carrying Guadeloupe’s voice to the international stage.
The roots of early involvement
A childhood marked by local politics
Daughter of Justin Archimède, an artisan baker who became a general councillor in 1910 and mayor of Morne-à-l’Eau from 1912 to 1947, Gerty Archimède grew up in an atmosphere of public debate and solidarity. Her mother, Marie-Adélaïde Tamarin, was a modern telephone operator. The eldest of five children, she benefited from a privileged upbringing compared to the majority of Guadeloupeans of the time, who were still working in the fields.
Studies financed by his work
After passing her baccalauréat in the early 1930s, she dreamed of becoming a philosophy teacher. However, financial constraints forced her to work at the Banque de Guadeloupe to finance her law studies. She began her studies in Martinique, before moving on to the Sorbonne in Paris. In the capital, she frequented progressive circles and broadened her vision of the role of law as a tool for social justice.
1939: a historic entry to the bar
In 1939, Gerty Archimède takes her oath at the Pointe-à-Pitre bar. Her entry marks a major turning point: she breaks down gender barriers in a male-dominated profession and, by her presence, highlights the racial divides still very much present in French society. As such, she is often referred to as “France’s first black female lawyer”, even if this designation is not officially enshrined.
Her oratorical talents, nurtured by literature and philosophy, enabled her to gradually assert herself. Her career as a lawyer became the springboard for a broader political and social commitment.
A political voice for Guadeloupe
From departmentalization to the National Assembly
In 1944, Gerty Archimède was elected general councillor. Two years later, on November 10, 1946, she was elected deputy for Guadeloupe to the National Assembly, a position she held until July 4, 1951 under the colors of the French Communist Party. Her election came at a pivotal time: women had only just won the right to vote in 1944, and the law of March 19, 1946 had just made Guadeloupe a French department.
At the Palais-Bourbon, she campaigns for social equality between metropolitan and overseas France, defends women’s access to the legal professions and advocates improved living conditions for the overseas population. She also sits as a deputy judge on the High Court of Justice.
Guadeloupe’s first bâtonnière
After his return to the bar in 1952, Gerty Archimède pursued a brilliant career. In 1967, she was elected President of the Guadeloupe Bar Association, a position she held until 1970. She thus became the first woman to head the institution, embodying both professional recognition and the modernization of justice in the archipelago.
Feminist and social struggles
Guadeloupe Women’s Union
Convinced that social conquests require collective organization, Gerty Archimède founded the Guadeloupean section of the French Women’s Union in 1948. In 1958, this structure was renamed the Union des femmes guadeloupéennes (UFG). The organization campaigned for social security, access to pensions and improved living conditions for women. It became an essential relay for the voice of Guadeloupean women in society.
An advocate for workers
In her pleadings, she defended workers, trade unionists and marginalized populations. At the French National Assembly, she introduced bills to promote equal pay for men and women in the French overseas departments. Her actions reflect a deep-seated conviction that the law must not remain a privilege, but must serve social justice.
Emblematic trials and international openness
The case of the 16 from Basse-Pointe
In 1951, Gerty Archimède takes part in one of the most important trials in West Indian history: sixteen Martinican cane cutters are accused of murdering a white administrator. Relocated to Bordeaux, the trial became a tribune against colonialism. Alongside Marcel Manville and Georges Gratiant, she pleads the innocence of the accused. All were acquitted, in a victory that resonated far beyond Martinique.
Support for Angela Davis
In 1969, she intervened to free Angela Davis, an African-American activist detained in Guadeloupe by French authorities after a trip to Cuba. Thanks to her commitment, Davis and her companions escaped imprisonment. In her autobiography, Angela Davis pays tribute to Gerty Archimède praising her courage and determination.
A lasting legacy
Gerty Archimède died in Basse-Terre on August 15, 1980. His house in Basse-Terre became a museum in 1984 and was awarded the “Maison des Illustres” label in 2012.
Her legacy is honored by multiple tributes: a street has been named after her in the 12ᵉ arrondissement of Paris since 2006, the Guadeloupe Region has proclaimed 2019 “Gerty Archimède Year”, and in 2013, she was nominated alongside Paulette Nardal for symbolic entry into the Pantheon. Her portrait also features in exhibitions dedicated to great female figures, and her role is taught in Guadeloupe’s schools.
Pioneering lawyer, committed MP, feminist activist and workers’ advocate, Gerty Archimède embodied an exceptional trajectory, capable of linking the bar, the hemicycle and the street. She broke down the barriers of her time and opened up new perspectives for future generations. Her name remains synonymous with courage, intelligence and perseverance, reminding us that the history of the French West Indies is also written through those who refused injustice.
