From Fanon to Y’en a Marre: Non-Violent Resistance and Political Transformation in Senegal Público

Abstract

This essay analyzes the difference between Frantz Fanon's theory on violence in the context of anticolonial resistance and the Y’en a Marre movement in Senegal that stood for non-violent activism. Y’en a Marre was founded in 2011 amidst the wave of global social movements and inspired by the Arab Spring Protests. While Fanon argued that violence was necessary for decolonization, Y’en a Marre mobilized non-violent resistance to challenge political corruption and authoritarianism in Senegal. By using the social movement theory, newspaper articles, primary sources, and interviews by Professor Ndiaye, this paper explores how Y’en a Marre adapted Fanon's ideas into a postcolonial context by using music, civic engagement, and grassroots mobilization to empower citizens. It then highlights the role of women, particularly Denise Safiatou Sow and Maimouna Ndiaye, in reshaping gender norms within the movement. By putting Y’en a Marre within Senegal’s political history from the pre-colonial era to the present, this analysis illustrates how the group’s methods influenced other Francophone African movements such as Balai Citoyen in Burkina Faso and Filimbi in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Finally, the essay argues that Y’en a Marre’s rejection of violence represents a strategic evolution of Fanonian theory and demonstrates how anticolonial legacies continue to shape contemporary African politics. 

Table of Contents

Table of Contents 

Introduction...............................................................................................................1

Literature Review......................................................................................................6

Chapter 1: Genesis of the Political System in Senegal............................................11

Chapter 2: Fanonian Theory and the Y’en a Marre Movement...............................29

Chapter 3: Gender and Social Activism...................................................................43

Conclusion................................................................................................................54

Bibliography.............................................................................................................56

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	African Studies
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	African Studies
Palavra-chave	Senegal
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Pamela Scully, Emory University
Committee Members	Salmon Shomade, Emory University Bamba Ndiaye, Emory University

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