This year marks the 100th anniversary of Frantz Fanon's birth, an occasion for commemorative and educational events in numerous countries. Known to some as a pioneer of anti-colonial uprisings and to others as one of the most important analysts of racism, Fanon is a central figure in the era of African independence struggles. His biography encapsulates the history of the 20th century like no other: Born in 1925 in the French colony of Martinique in the Caribbean, Fanon fought as a soldier in World War II against Nazism in Europe and then worked as a psychiatrist, writer, and diplomat for the Front de libération nationale against French colonialism in Algeria. He died of leukemia in a US hospital in 1961 at the age of only 36.
One hundred years after Fanon's birth and almost 65 years after his death, we are still confronted with global problems that can only be solved through the intertwining of science, politics, and social work. In light of economic exploitation, social neglect, and political discrimination, particularly in Europe's relationship with Africa, Fanon's continent- and activity-spanning legacy opens up a space for critical examination of the present. Looking at this legacy raises the question of how critical analyses of inequality and injustice, support for victims of social injustice, and the pursuit of political change relate to each other today, and how actors in these fields can find common ground through Fanon.
To explore this question, researchers and activists from Frankfurt are organizing an event entitled “100 Years Fanon! Reflections on the Contemporary" on December 11 and 12, 2025. The event will bring together people from the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe with interested members of the local public at Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main. The program includes lectures by, among others, the president of the Fanon Foundation, Mireille Fanon Mendès-France, and the former chair of the Caribbean Philosophical Association, Nelson Maldonado Torres. In workshops, participants will meet civil society organizations such as Hands Off Africa Frankfurt, A-APRP Germany, and Black Power Frankfurt, which offer insights into current social and political movements on the African continent. The event thus creates a space for exchange between groups that otherwise rarely discuss key political issues with each other. It is also linked to a three-part film series in Frankfurt in November and January, which will show films about the history of colonialism, such as the award-winning “Soundtrack to a Coup d'etat," and feature lectures by researchers such as Helena Zohdi.
