The ‘Wretched of the Earth’ – then and now

This article deals with the importance of the thinking of Frantz Fanon, as a theorist of the Algerian revolution and the wider national liberation movement worldwide. It highlights his radically different perspective on questions of race, nation and culture, founded on the basic premise of the alienation produced by colonialism and the ways in which it might be overcome, notably his notion of redemptive violence. It assesses his focus on the ‘wretched of the earth’ and the resonance that this had with many contemporary movements fighting against racism and colonial exploitation during the 1960s and 1970s. It ends with a look at his ongoing influence and continuing relevance today.