Quote by Achille Mbembe: “To exist means to resist.”

This powerful and concise statement suggests that simply existing, especially for marginalized groups, is an act of defiance against forces that seek to diminish or erase them. It frames life itself as an ongoing struggle against oppression and for self-affirmation.

The mid-2010s saw intensified global movements for social justice and recognition of marginalized identities, with communities asserting their right to exist and thrive in the face of systemic discrimination and violence. Resistance became a central theme of political discourse.

Cameroonian philosopher and political theorist whose concept of 'necropolitics' — the power of the state to decide who may live and who must die — has become central to postcolonial and critical theory. He teaches at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.