Patrice Lumumba was assassinated in 1961. Decades later, his name continues to inspire people in Congo and around the world.
In this talk, Pedro Monaville explores Lumumba’s affective and political afterlives. A hero of decolonization and martyr of the cold war and neocolonialism, Lumumba is often talked about as a symbol, an icon, and a metaphor for key global historical dynamics.
Revisiting some films and artworks about Lumumba, but also political movements that he has inspired, Monaville argues that Lumumba’s enduring significance lies not in any fixed political doctrine, but in his capacity to generate revolutionary aspirations and mobilize energies at the service of new projects of liberation. Centering more specifically on memories of Lumumba in Congo, the talk shows he has helped Congolese situate themselves in the world.
