Frantz Fanon’s Centenary: Alienation, Violence, and Migration in North African Postcolonial Societies

On the occasion of the centenary of Frantz Fanon’s birth, the Border Studies Research Group, with the support of the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung North Africa Bureau, is organizing an international colloquium at the Faculty of Medicine in Sousse on February 21st and 22nd, 2025.

This interdisciplinary conference explores the legacy of Fanonian thought in Tunisia and North Africa. As a psychiatrist, writer, and activist, Fanon left an indelible mark on the humanities and medicine through his reflections on decolonization and postcolonial oppressions. Three pivotal phases in his intellectual life highlight his profound impact, particularly in North Africa:

• 1951–1953 (France): Fanon discovered the realities faced by North African workers, met François Tosquelles, and wrote Black Skin, White Masks.
• 1953–1957 (Algeria): He led the psychiatric service at Blida-Joinville Hospital, analyzed the psychological effects of colonization, and engaged with liberation activists.
• 1957–1961 (Tunisia): Fanon founded the day psychiatric center at Charles Nicolle Hospital, taught at the University of Tunis, and wrote The Wretched of the Earth, documenting processes of alienation in postcolonial societies.

This colloquium will highlight Fanon’s intellectual and methodological contributions while addressing the psychological, political, and social legacies of colonial and postcolonial domination, as well as contemporary mechanisms of mobility control and exclusion.

An essential event for reflecting on the relevance of Fanon’s thought today, its impact on African and Maghrebian societies, and for drawing lessons to further his project of decolonizing knowledge and minds.