On April 18, 2025, historian Didier Gondola—Ali A. Mazrui Senior Fellow in Global African Studies at The Africa Institute and Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University—delivered the keynote lecture at Lumumba at 100, a conference hosted at Columbia University to mark the centenary of Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba. The event, led by Columbia graduate students and supported by scholars from across disciplines, gathered researchers to examine Lumumba’s legacy, Congo’s colonial history, and contemporary global issues such as resource extraction and political instability.
In his keynote, “Prophet and Profit: Patrice Lumumba’s Resurrection in Congolese Urban Art,” Gondola discussed how Patrice Lumumba has been transformed into an iconic figure in Congolese popular painting, a genre known as “Lumumba in the Arts.”
Rather than focusing on Lumumba’s political life, Professor Gondola emphasized his symbolic and prophetic image. “Lumumba in the Arts has become a liturgy in the cult of the Dead Lumumba. This genre tends to align itself with real representations of Lumumba—the ones seen in photographs and films that depict his martyrdom, arrest, and detention—in an effort to fill the unbearable void of the prophet’s trials and tribulations with a repertoire of clichés inspired by the Passion of Christ.”
Drawing on Congolese popular painting, Gondola explained how artists portray Lumumba as a sacred icon, blending politics and religion in ways that reshape his symbolic status. He further argued that while Lumumba’s global fame is undeniable, his legacy in Congolese collective memory remains fragmented, shaped by external forces. His presentation highlighted how Congolese urban art has become a vital site for reclaiming Lumumba’s image, offering a space where Congolese communities can redefine his place in their national consciousness.
This year is also significant as it marks the 100th anniversaries of Malcolm X and Frantz Fanon, two other key figures whose legacies continue to inspire global struggles for freedom, equality, and justice.
For additional coverage, see the Radio France International report: À New York, une conférence en l’honneur de Lumumba illustre la résurgence de sa pensée aux États-Unis.
On April 18, 2025, historian Didier Gondola—Ali A. Mazrui Senior Fellow in Global African Studies at The Africa Institute and Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University—delivered the keynote lecture at Lumumba at 100, a conference hosted at Columbia University to mark the centenary of Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba. The event, led by Columbia graduate students and supported by scholars from across disciplines, gathered researchers to examine Lumumba’s legacy, Congo’s colonial history, and contemporary global issues such as resource extraction and political instability.
On April 18, 2025, historian Didier Gondola—Ali A. Mazrui Senior Fellow in Global African Studies at The Africa Institute and Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University—delivered the keynote lecture at Lumumba at 100, a conference hosted at Columbia University to mark the centenary of Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba. The event, led by Columbia graduate students and supported by scholars from across disciplines, gathered researchers to examine Lumumba’s legacy, Congo’s colonial history, and contemporary global issues such as resource extraction and political instability.
In his keynote, “Prophet and Profit: Patrice Lumumba’s Resurrection in Congolese Urban Art,” Gondola discussed how Patrice Lumumba has been transformed into an iconic figure in Congolese popular painting, a genre known as “Lumumba in the Arts.”
Rather than focusing on Lumumba’s political life, Professor Gondola emphasized his symbolic and prophetic image. “Lumumba in the Arts has become a liturgy in the cult of the Dead Lumumba. This genre tends to align itself with real representations of Lumumba—the ones seen in photographs and films that depict his martyrdom, arrest, and detention—in an effort to fill the unbearable void of the prophet’s trials and tribulations with a repertoire of clichés inspired by the Passion of Christ.”
Drawing on Congolese popular painting, Gondola explained how artists portray Lumumba as a sacred icon, blending politics and religion in ways that reshape his symbolic status. He further argued that while Lumumba’s global fame is undeniable, his legacy in Congolese collective memory remains fragmented, shaped by external forces. His presentation highlighted how Congolese urban art has become a vital site for reclaiming Lumumba’s image, offering a space where Congolese communities can redefine his place in their national consciousness.
This year is also significant as it marks the 100th anniversaries of Malcolm X and Frantz Fanon, two other key figures whose legacies continue to inspire global struggles for freedom, equality, and justice.
For additional coverage, see the Radio France International report: À New York, une conférence en l’honneur de Lumumba illustre la résurgence de sa pensée aux États-Unis.
Subscribe to our mailing list and get the latest news from The Africa Institute
