Autobiography examines life of a woman who help lead Africa’s independence movements

She was once called “the most dangerous woman in Africa.” But Andrée Blouin described herself as an African woman “inflamed by injustice” on a mission to free her continent from colonial rule. She was born in French Equatorial Africa, abandoned at the age of three, escaped an arranged marriage at 15 and became politically active after French officials denied her son medication for malaria, leading to his death. She shares the whole story from her own point of view in her book, “My Country, Africa: Autobiography of the Black Pasionaria.” Originally published in 1983, a new edition of the book edited by her daughter, Eve Blouin, came out this year. Host Marco Werman spoke with Eve Blouin about the book and how she remembers her mother.

This story originally aired on Jan. 28, 2025.

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