Frank B. Wilderson III is an American critical theorist and scholar of African American studies. A Chancellor’s Professor at the University of California, Irvine, he works across film, literature, and political theory to examine the structures of race and slavery. During the final years of apartheid, he spent approximately five years in South Africa and participated in the African National Congress. In "Afropessimism," Wilderson combines memoir with political theory to argue that slavery should be understood not only as a historical institution but also as a continuing structure that exposes Black people to violence and exclusion. Drawing on his experiences in the United States and South Africa, the book examines forms of anti-Blackness that legal equality and social inclusion alone cannot resolve. It was longlisted for the 2020 National Book Award for Nonfiction.
