Angola is a large country in southwestern Africa made up of beautiful
cities, towns, and rolling countrysides. It was a peaceful country before
the invasions of Europeans in the sixteenth century. In 1582, Nzinga was
born into the royal family and became queen in 1623.
Queen Nzinga led her people into heroic battles against the invading
Portuguese.
In 1624, she declared all territory in Angola a free country. This
meant that all captives reaching Angola would be forever free. Ruthlessly,
she punished leaders who were allies with white people.
She then selected groups of her soldiers to infiltrate the Portuguese
armies. This effective strategy of placing agents among the Black troops
under Portuguese domination was one of the most glorious, yet unsung pages
in African history. Whole companies rebelled and deserted to the colors of
the beautiful queen. There was much unity, patriotism, and fanatical
devotion under a Black woman's leadership. Black unity was seen as Black
power.
The Portuguese army leadership decided that Queen Nzinga had to be
destroyed. She fled Angola. The Portuguese leadership thought that her
power was over. But any child in the city would tell you that the queen
was just away on business. In 1629, she returned to wrest Angola back from
the Portuguese and put Phillip I to flight. The Portuguese regrouped and
attacked, but Queen Nzinga defeated them again.
Queen Nzinga led her people in resisting the European psychological
technique of converting to Christianity and giving up their African name.
She showed the way by renouncing her Christian name, Ann Nzinga, by which
she had been baptized in the Catholic Church. She had discovered that
being baptized into Christianity was surrendering your soul and body, not
to Christ, but to the white man. To her, prisoners-of-war and the church
were one and the same. She felt that every white man in Africa was an
enemy of Blacks. Even the holy robes of priests covered their real
mission. Their robes covered their lust for helpless African girls.
In 1662, at a conference with a governor of Portugal, he deliberately
failed to provide a chair for her. Her loyal subjects knelt down before
her and she sat upon their backs.
Queen Nzinga never surrendered to any one. She became one with the
react
"I Am," as thousands stood in tears in 1663.
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