Frantz Fanon was a French West - Indian Psychiatrist and Political Philosopher. His 1952 book ‘Black Skin, White Masks’ is a brilliant combination of the two disciplines and will undoubtedly leave you with a deeper understanding of human psychology with a sharp focus on the way in which colonialism has shaped the mentality of both the coloniser and the colonised.
‘Black Skin, White Masks’ by Frantz Fanon is one of those timeless texts, arguably one of the most important and useful for understanding the effects of race. Whilst the book is centred around blackness and the experiences of a black man, Fanon’s writing allows insight for all people of colour as well as white people. It provides people of colour with the tools to better understand themselves, breaking down their ownsubconscious as well as allowing white people to find ways in which they may perpetuate racism or make life more difficult for a person of colour. He finishes the book in a reconciliatory tone, writing of the need to create and foster goodwill and a mutually beneficial race relationship. Within the book, Frantz Fanon a literary style filled eloquently with many little gems for the reader to take away. He tackles such complex issues with relative ease, carefully narrating in a way that is so simple and easy to understand. His work forces the reader to delve into their own life and understand ways in which they perhaps unknowingly still uphold the same systems he was writing about all those years ago.
The main overriding concept is that of identity and the construction of a particular identity for a black man in a white world. From a psychological point of a view, Fanon explores the impact this has on the behaviours and mannerisms of the colonised and the way inferiority is created and then weaponised by the coloniser. He places a strong importance on the adoption of the white man’s world view and way of life.
He writes prominently about the legacies of colonialism, in particular the way language is changed, adapted and used as a tool for some black people to be ‘whiter’ and as a result, more equal. He goes on to write about anti- colonial struggles and how violence is used on the part of the colonised. The fact that this book is still as relevant today as it was back in 1952 is a pertinent reminder that not enough has changed. Reading Fanon’s work from a now post- colonial lens leaves a stark revelation of the realities of our society today. As a non black person of colour, born and raised in the United Kingdom, reading this book meant I was able to fully appreciate much, not all, of what Fanon writes about and was the first time I had seen some of my experiences articulated on paper.
I highly, highly recommend all students, students of colour in particular, read this book and reflect on practices that they engage in on a daily basis. You will not be disappointed.
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