Gender and Decolonization in the Congo : The Legacy of Patrice Lumumba

Patrice Lumumba s legacy continues to fire the imagination of politicians, activists, and artists. But women have been missing from accounts of the Congo s decolonization. What new ideals of masculinity and femininity were generated in this struggle? Were masculinist biases re-inscribed in later depictions of the martyred nationalist? Through analysis of Lumumba s writings and speeches, the life stories of women activists, and literary and cinematic works, Gender and Decolonization in the Congo: The Legacy of Patrice Lumumba challenges male-centered interpretations of Congolese nationalism and illustrates how generic conventions both reinforced and undercut gender bias in representations of Lumumba and his female contemporaries. "Patrice Lumumba's legacy continues to fire the imagination of politicians, activists, and artists. But women have been missing from accounts of the Congo's decolonization. What new ideals of masculinity and femininity were generated in this struggle? Were masculinist biases re-inscribed in later depictions of the martyred nationalist? Through analysis of Lumumba's writings and speeches, the life stories of women activists, and literary and cinematic works, this innovative and multidisciplinary study challenges male-centered interpretations of Congolese nationalism and illustrates how generic conventions both reinforced and undercut gender bias in representations of Lumumba and his female contemporaries"--From publisher's website Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Introduction: The Gender of Decolonization....Pages 1-11 Lumumba on Women: From Domesticity to Political Mobilization....Pages 13-37 Lumumba and Women: The Personal Meets the Political....Pages 39-70 Andrée Blouin: A Sister Among Brothers in Struggle....Pages 71-99 Léonie Abo: The Political Lessons of the Maquis....Pages 101-130 Césaire’s Lumumba: A Symbol of Sexual and Political Prowess....Pages 131-151 Peck’s Personal Lumumba: The Maternal Voice in Death of a Prophet....Pages 153-165 Peck’S Hollywood Lumumba: A Masculine Hero....Pages 167-190 Conclusion: Legacies....Pages 191-195 Back Matter....Pages 197-247 "Gender and decolonization in the Congo focuses on women and questions of gender in its examination of Patrice Lumumba (1925-1961), the assassinated leader of the independent Congo"--Provided by publisher