Thomas Sankara Speaks: The Burkina Faso Revolution 1983–87

Sankara is one of the most incredible person that lived on this planet: he showed to us how important is the fight against imperialism and his ideas were not simply only ideological powerful, but also a practical reality. We can't speak about a fight against imperialism and capitalism without a unity of the wretched of earth. Like Fanon said, only with violence it will be possible to change this reality. Anyway, Sankara's violence goes so much further than only a physical violence: his real confrontation of the system is his creed on the opressed people and on their organisation to transform the world. Because that, Sankara showed to us that a revolution cannot be made without women liberation, for example. So, the african revolutionary think, in some way, exactly like Debord said: "The revolutionary organization must necessarily constitute an integral critique of society ­­ a critique, that is to say, which refuses to compromise with any form of separated power and which is directed globally against every aspect of alienated social life. In the revolutionary organization's struggle with class society, the weapons are nothing less than the essence of the antagonists themselves: the revolutionary organization cannot allow the conditions of division and hierarchy that obtain in the dominant society to be reproduced within itself. It must also fight constantly against its own distortion by and within the reigning spectacle. The only restriction on individual participation in the revolutionary organization's total democracy is that imposed by the effective recognition and appropriation by each member of the coherence of the organization's critique, a coherence that must be borne out both in critical theory proper and in the relationship between that theory and practical activity" (tesis 121, on "The society of the spetacle"). Sankara is that "coherence that must be borne out both in critical theory proper and in the relationship between that theory and practical activity", too. With his struggle, he showed to us how powerful can be the self organisation of a rising nation getting liberated from the horrible claws of the most perverse colonialism. The fight against racism, patriarchy, capitalism, etc, cannot be made without this critique and self organisation from the oppressed. Sankara, as someone that lived with this transformation and fought against every way of exploitation, is somebody who can teach us the way to do it. So, there's no doubt about the quality of this book and of how necessary is to intelectuals from all the world compromised with the oppressed is listen the world of someone who come "from a country whose seven million children, women and men refuse to die from ignorance, hunger, and thirst any longer". Without it, no transformation will be possible; and Sankara show to us this path, with his errors and problems, of course, but, too, with a lot of hope, creed and passion, because his inspiration is "to speak on behalf of the disinherited of the world". This book is a powerful intellectual weapon; but is too an astonishing inspiration gun. With it, I received a real lession on how the people is the most powerful actor of our world, like Sankara always believed. On this way, there's no more thing that we need to say than "Homeland or death, we will win". Sankara is a lession for everybody who dreams to see this world liberated of all oppressions that stings our lifes, because "You cannot kill ideas".

I was glad to have been able to purchase this. I knew of the brother, but never got to read his words & works. His speeches are now a favorite of mine to own. He was speaking on issues that still affect the African continent, even today. We didn't listen then...we should DEFINITELY be listening now. These issues not only affect Africa currently, but also the Black community as a whole throughout the diaspora.

I truly liked reading about the young leader and his Pan African thinking to bring about change in his beloved country as well as in Africa as a whole. His visionary thinking back then are still needed today to mitigate Neocolonialism in Africa. Africa needs more Thomas Sankara nowadays more than ever.

Great read. It gave me a clearer understanding of his life and the problems he experience as a revolutionary in Burkina Faso. Very inspiring and informative about the political climate in Africa. I would of loved his biography if it was available

Very nice book, well written and carefully crafted about Thomas Sankar's era. Well done!

He was a man of integrity.

This book is a must read for all especially the African Youth who are craving for change and positive leadership from their political leaders. Money well spent. 5 Thumbs up..

Great book and legendary revolutionary hero