Episode Details

Join pplpod for a deep dive into the life of Frantz Fanon, the French West Indian psychiatrist and philosopher whose work became foundational to post-colonial studies and critical theory. We trace Fanon’s journey from his youth in Martinique and his service in World War II, where the racism he witnessed within the French army left him deeply disillusioned. The episode explores his transition to psychiatry in France and Algeria, where he revolutionized treatment methods by connecting with patients' cultural backgrounds before ultimately resigning to join the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN) against French rule.

We analyze his two most famous works: Black Skin, White Masks, which examines the psychological trauma of colonial subjugation, and The Wretched of the Earth, a defense of the right of colonized peoples to use violence to achieve independence. Finally, we discuss Fanon's death from leukemia in 1961 and his massive legacy, which influenced revolutionary figures like Che Guevara, Steve Biko, and the Black Panther Party in the United States.