J.S. & Lucy Jones, LLC.

THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN QUEEN NZINGA

 

Just as all Americans should know of George Washington, all people of African descent throughout the world should know of Queen Nzinga.  Nzenga was born and grew-up in the region of Africa that is today the country of Angola. 

 

When Europeans first came to Africa around the 1500 they were surprised to find that Black men and women had built great civilizations in many places on the African continent-- civilizations date back to the 1200 hundreds and even as far back as six to seven hundred years before Christ.

 

Nzinga is one of many great leaders who stood their ground and fought valiantly and bravely to the bitter end to prevent Europeans from enslaving Africans and eventually taking over their homeland.  Nzanga had a brilliant mind and was a fearless warrior.

 

When Nzenga brother died in 1622 she became queen.  She would go on to control much of the territory surrounding their kingdom and vastly expanded it.  In 1624 Nzenga declared all the territory in Angola over which she had control as “free country”.  In other words, if you could make it to the territory she controlled, you were forever free. 

 

Because of her brilliant mind and supreme leadership skills, Nzinga was able to influence many of the chiefs to join her in the fight against Europeans to keep her race free.  The Portuguese were amazed at the control she had over the men in her army and had to retreat many time while engaged in battle with the queen.  The queen would often take the fight to the Portuguese rather than waiting for them to attack her.  For more than forty (40) years, Nzinga and her army fought the Portuguese to a standstill even though they had superior weapons.   

OVER

Chancellor Williams tells us that in 1656, “tired and weary from four decades of relentless struggles”, Queen Nzenga, “signed a treaty with the Portuguese that was revised and made acceptable to her”.

 

“There were seven more years, Williams said, of busy life for Nzenga—pushing reconstruction, the resettlement of ex-slaves, and helping develop an economy that could survive without the trading of slaves”.

 

The Queen took her last breath in 1663—dying in her bed of old age.  Williams writes that “as a dull autumn sun lengthened the shadow over the palace grounds where thousands stood in tears, the people must have wondered would God send them another Nzenga to hold the line against the Europeans”.

 

It is true that history is almost always written by those who conquer, not by those who are conquered. If this were not true, our ancestors surely would have passed the history of Queen Nzenga on to us all and we would have passed her story on to our children so they could pass it on to their children.

 

One can’t tell the history of this great African Queen on one piece of paper, but one can start.  I refer you to Chancellor William’s wonderful book—one of many-- that further tells the glorious history of Queen Nzinga and many other great Black men and women: “The Destruction of Black Civilization”. 

 

 

     JCT