Dandara ruled a free Black community in Brazil alongside her husband in the 1600s. Her community was prosperous, free, and thriving. But this incredible leader faced one huge challenge to her power.
As the sugar trade grew, racist colonizers were always looking for more ways to exploit Black bodies. They wanted profit, and didn’t care about the humanity of those who would provide it. Slavery was a big business – and a prosperous, free Black community was a big threat.
But Dandara refused to see herself and her people enslaved.
A skilled fighter, nurse, and strategist, Dandara battled alongside her husband to maintain their freedom – and then fought to free those who’d been enslaved by the colonizers!
But soon there was a challenge that even she couldn’t overcome.
She was captured by the racists who wanted to enslave her and her people. Rather than kill her, they’d planned to use her. However, she chose her own death over their enslavement!
While some scholars believe Dandara was nothing more than folklore, her influence on liberation cannot be denied, and Black scholars point out that much of her history was NOT written down because her community respected oral traditions.
Dandara chose death over betraying her people. As her fearlessness and leadership showed, we must always fight against anything that would take our humanhood and freedom.