Introduction: The gender of decolonization -- Lumumba on women : from domesticity to political mobilization -- Lumumba and women : the personal meets the political -- Andrée Blouin : a sister among brothers in struggle -- Léonie Abo : the political lessons of the Maquis -- Césaire's Lumumba : a symbol of sexual and political prowess -- Peck's personal Lumumba : the maternal voice in 'Death of a prophet' -- Peck's Hollywood Lumumba : a masculine hero -- Conclusion : legacies
Summary
"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
"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
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 213-223) and index