For Black women onlyAfrica’s greatest daughter, Queen Nzinga of Angola led her troops
Against the Portuguese armies against which she fought for forty
Years.
The peace conference was held at Luanda. The black delegation was
Headed by the country’s ablest and most uncompromising diplomat,
Nzinga. But even before the peace conference began, and at the risk
Of wrecking it, the governor’s Caucasian arrogance could not be
Restrained.
He had decided on a studied insult at the outset by providing chairs in the
Conference room only for himself and his councilors, with the idea of
Forcing the black Queen to stand humbly before his noble presence.
He remained seated, of course, staring haughtily as she entered the room.
She took in the situation at a glance with a contemptuous smile, while her
Attendants moved with a swiftness that seemed to suggest that they had
Anticipated this stupid behavior by the Portuguese.
They quickly rolled out the beautifully designed royal carpet they had brought
Before Nzinga, after which one of them went down on all fours and expertly
Formed himself into a “royal throne” upon which the Queen sat easily without
Being a strain on her devoted follower.
Yet she rose at regular intervals, knowing that other attendants were vying for
The honor of thus giving to those whites still another defeat.
Mean while back in mediaeval Europe Christians forbade washing as
A heathen custom, and the monks and nuns boasted of their filthiness, insomuch
That a lady saint recorded with pride the fact that up to the age of sixty she had
Never washed any part of her body, except the tips of her fingers when she was
Going to take the mass….
And in Spain Phillip the II. husband of the English Queen Mary ordered the destruction of all public baths, built by African’s on the grounds that they were
Relics of infidelity…. See Stanley Lane Poole the Moors in Spain.
Queen Nzinga faced the Portuguese governor and spoke as a ruler of the land.
And not as a subject of the king of Portugal.
She did not recognize the man in the big chair as governor because she did not
Recognize the existence of Portuguese “colony of Angola.” She only saw before
Her what her people had seen approaching their shores over a hundred years
Before –pompous white devils bent on the destruction of the non-white world.
Nzinga’s greatest act, however, probably the one that makes her one of the
Greatest women in our-story, was in 1624 when she declared all territory
In Angola over which she had control as free country all slaves reaching it from
Whatever quarter was forever free.
The greatest bamboozlement in recorded his-storyAfter much slaughter by Nzinga against Portuguese forces they put out a contract
For her wanted dead or alive.
Realizing that such an all-out attempt to capture her meant that countless thousands
Of her people would die in her defense.
She outwitted the Portuguese again by slipping out of the country.
Instructing her lieutenants to spread the word everywhere that she had fled the
Country and, mistakenly entering the territory of an enemy and had been killed.
There was general weeping and mourning throughout Ndongo, the Portuguese
And Bishops could celebrate a special mass in celebration of this special blessing
And the colony of Angola could at last be organized. All things now seem to be happy and going well according to the original grand design.
Then in 1629 the Portuguese stood aghast when Queen Nzinga “burst upon them
From the grave. Sweeping all opposition before her. She never surrendered
Finally in 1656, tired and weary from four decades of relentless struggles, she
Signed a treaty that was revised and made acceptable to her. She past away quietly
In 1656. After leading her armies into battle for four decades.
We recommend the following books
The moors in Spain by Stanley Lane Poole.
The destruction of black civilization by Chancellor Williams