afro-caribbean psychiatrist and post-colonial philosopher frantz fanon championed decolonization and challenged anti-blackness

56 years ago, West Indian post-colonial philosopher, psychiatrists, and Marxist Frantz Fanon died prematurely after being diagnosed with leukemia, but not before leaving a legacy of theory and criticism of colonialism. Born in Martinique, Fanon’s prolific work psychoanalyzed racial oppression and how oppressed groups survive in and navigate White Society. One of his most important pieces, ‘Black Skin, White Masks’, through a post-colonial lens, explored how colonialism creates psychological and cultural insecurities within black and minority communities through otherization and forced assimilation. Though Fanon lost his battle with leukemia and lived to be just 36 years old, his intellectual contributions have impacted national liberation and decolonization movements around the world.