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Feminist studies have contributed to the politicization of private life and, in doing so, to relocating the analysis of activist careers within the different spheres of life. This article proposes to extend the reflection to men’s activist trajectories in order to understand how intimacy shapes politics and, conversely, how politics affects the intimacy of men’s lives. Based on the study of the biographical paths of anti-colonial and socialist activists in Mali, this study proposes some ways forward to explore the importance of romantic experiences in shaping men’s paths of commitment, as well as the effects of political violence on the emotional and family life of political prisoners.