by
Camalita Naicker, Thinking Africa
Newsletter
There
are many clichés one could devolve into when speaking about an event
like this, I will try my best to refrain from doing so, however
clichés have become such because of their overuse but also their
ability to describe feelings and emotions fairly appropriately. What
I will say is that for me it was an extremely novel, profound
experience. Reading Frantz Fanon and engaging with people who have
known him and engaged with his work over so many years and still
recognise not only his relevance to our society today but how we,
through our fidelity to him and in living Fanon, can recognise the
possibility for the creation of a new humanity.
To
be at the free and open conference and to have conversations with
people whose books I’ve read or readings I have done in my politics
lectures was incredible and also an experience unheard of at other
South African universities. The Fanon Colloquium as well as our week
long winter school was a testament to the commitment this department
has not only to re-thinking the role of the intellectual in our
society but also about re-thinking academia and (for the most part)
its rigidity and the old hierarchical and to put it frankly “Old
white boys club” stigma it seems to carry. It was a pioneering
event, which given the right support and funding in the future would
see this department continue to take learning and engaging with
theory to new levels. It would undoubtedly be a calling card for
post-grads around South Africa as well as other countries to come
here and help build a more open and inclusive society and democracy
committed to Fanon’s new humanity, premised on equality.
