This is really fascinating stuff right here. History is dope. That is all. You learn something new everyday. It’s funny because I was always kinda iffy on the “Black Queen” thing myself (seems like a good number of Black women are), and reading this makes a lot of sense why.
NO QUEENS IN AFRIKA: Women Rulers in Sword & Soul and other African-Inspired Fantasy
Recently, an article about the history of Nzinga, woman ruler of Angola, has surfaced and is circulating around Facebook.
Now, while I am happy to see Nzinga recognized, every time I see it I cringe.
Why?
Because, the posters of that article scream “The mighty Queen Nzinga!” or “Warrior-Queen Nzinga!” or “Another great African Queen: Nzinga!” or, simply “Queen Nzinga!”
Sigh.
Nzinga was never a queen people!
No African woman ever was.
That’s right. I said it. Now, read on!
I should say that no traditional, pre-colonial, woman – or woman who opposed colonization / slavery ever was – because later, you did have some Europeanized African rulers who, in their attempts to reduce the power of women, reduced them to queens – and many women accepted their lot.
Nzinga was an Ngola – a ruler…
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