The Revolutionary Life and Practices of Frantz Fanon

 The Rebel's Clinic: The Revolutionary Lives of Frantz Fanon by Adam Shatz

The Rebel's Clinic book cover

Frantz Fanon Hospital in 1933 by amekinfo, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Frantz Fanon at the Writers Congress in Tunisia 1959  Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In college, Frantz Fanon was like a mythological character. So much of the literature and criticism I was reading mentioned him, but I had trouble finding his books. I was in college in the late 90s and there weren’t many book stores around me at the time. I don’t think it was until after college that I was able to get a copy of The Wretched of the Earth. I also felt like the perspectives I read about Fanon were vastly different, and the details of his life were not all completely clear. I was never really sure if he was someone who advocated violence or if he was someone who was full of hatred, but he seemed to be a powerful figure in the decolonization movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Adam Shatz’s biography of Fanon is important in helping to reframe and contextualize Fanon’s significance, not only to these monumental movements that helped to reshape the world in the mid-20th century, but also to reconsider how Fanon continues to be an important figure in more recent movements that question how large and powerful countries continue to take advantage of developing countries and groups like Black Lives Matter, that examine how state power is used to continue to maintain power for the privileged and oppress those disenfranchised. Shatz’s biography examines more of Fanon’s revolutionary life rather than going through his entire experiences. I appreciated that this book spent more time looking at Fanon’s experiences in Algeria and other African countries that sought out independence from colonialism. It was interesting to see how Fanon used his psychiatric training to explore the emotional trauma that colonial subjects experienced. I was really surprised to see how Fanon’s work in clinics with Algerians helped to dismiss some of the inequalities and stereotypes that they experienced in receiving health care. Furthermore, it was amazing to see how experimental and revolutionary some of his treatment views were regarding mental health therapy. Shatz’s book not only examines Fanon’s life, but also explores how Fanon’s ideas and philosophies were shaped and influenced other theorists and movements of the time. With his opening of the clinic, Fanon challenged typical views of health care proposed by theorists like Foucault. Other writers like Sartre and Camus, who were involved with the Algerian freedom movement in some ways, play an important role in both influencing and being influenced by Fanon’s writing and action. I loved learning more about the Algerian independence movement and how this battle to move away from French colonialism was influential to other African countries as well as other colonial holdings like Vietnam. I sometimes fail to realize how much change was happening in the 1950s and 1960s, and reframing these movements as challenges to colonial hegemony helps to better understand the history and significance of the violence and battles that erupted. It was also interesting to see how Fanon’s writing and action influenced other movements and civil rights advocates in America. Shatz mentions how Malcolm X was influenced more by the Algerian independence movement, but also by Fanon’s writing and action. Fanon also seemed to influence the Black Panthers, noting how their focus not only on civil rights, but also on adequate health care for the oppressed was likely based on Fanon’s clinics. I really enjoyed this biography, especially since it was more of a contextualization and helped me understand how Fanon’s actions and revolutionary work in the clinic led to change in Algeria and other parts of Africa. It was interesting to learn more about Fanon’s life and work, and especially to see how he worked in countries like Tunisia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. One of the most fascinating elements of Fanon’s thinking was about the challenges that newly independent countries face. Fanon predicted that independence would bring joy and hope but was also subject to internal fighting and further battles, and this was something that was seen in many African countries that gained their independence. This book helped to recontextualize Fanon and challenge some of the misconceptions and misunderstandings of his life, seeing how his ideas and philosophies about those who experience state oppression are applicable to our lives today, especially