Picture this: A master of music 🎶 — a fencing star ⚔️ — a hero of the French Revolution 🇫🇷 — and a civil rights pioneer ✊🏿 — all while being the son of an enslaved person and a nobleman in 18th-century France.
Sounds like a movie, right?
This is the real-life story of Chevalier de Saint-Georges. He was a remarkable composer and social leader who defied racism and discrimination with his talent, courage, and passion.
Here are Three Leadership Lessons for our time from Saint-Georges’ epic journey 250 years ago —
1️⃣ Follow your dreams and hone your skills. Chevalier de Saint-Georges was a musical genius who composed and performed stunning works for operas, symphonies, concertos, and more. He was also a fencing legend who dazzled audiences with speed and agility. In both fields, he learned from the best teachers and practiced relentlessly to become one of the most celebrated figures of his time. He didn’t let anyone tell him what he could or couldn’t do because of his skin color or social class.
2️⃣ Celebrate diversity and inclusion. Chevalier de Saint-Georges was a fighter for human rights and equality. He stood up against slavery and racism, both personally and politically. He joined the French Revolution and its vision of freedom, brotherhood, and justice. He created the first all-Black army in Europe, the Légion St.-Georges, which fought valiantly against Britain and Austria. He defended the rights and dignity of people of color and inspired many others to follow his example.
3️⃣ Face adversity with resilience and courage. Chevalier de Saint-Georges encountered unending challenges and dangers in his life. The Paris Opera snubbed him because of his race. He was jailed during the Reign of Terror for his ties with the royal family. He was wounded in war and suffered from illness. He died in poverty and neglect at the age of 53. Yet he never gave up on his goals or his values. He always found a way to overcome the circumstances around him and contribute to society with his gifts and abilities.
Chevalier de Saint-Georges was a leader for the ages who left a lasting mark on music, culture, and history. His life is the inspiring story of achieving greatness and impact despite facing prejudice, oppression, and hardship. The journey of Chevalier de Saint-Georges shows the timeless power of diversity and inclusion — as relevant today as 250 years ago — to enrich society and spark innovation, creativity, and impact.
Who else in the Arts, past or present, reminds you of Chevalier de Saint-Georges?
