From Black History Month to Women’s History Month

Black History Month meets Women's History Month

28 Feb From Black History Month to Women’s History Month

Posted at 15:24h in News and Events by Deanna Shoss 0 Comments

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Honoring Two Black Women Who Changed the Course of History

Heritage Month celebrations are important. They provide a solid platform to celebrate and educate others on various groups’ histories and contributions to our collective United States History. During Black History Month many corporations celebrate leaders within their companies and innovators in their industry. Students learn about Black leaders and those who contributed to the civil rights movement, such as Dr. Martin Luther King and Stokely Carmichael.

In fact, it was Stokely Carmichael, National Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), who came to Seattle and ignited a whole Black community, including me as a high school senior, to be awakened to my identity as a Black person and to challenge racism in this country. These dynamic Black leaders also inspired everyday people of all backgrounds to become freedom fighters and Freedom Riders who challenged the racial laws in the American South in the 1960’s.

As we transition from February Black History Month to March Women’s History Month, it’s a perfect time to remember Black women, sometimes in the forefront, but often behind the scenes, who inspired others and changed the course of history.

Two such women are Ella Baker, founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and Dandara, an Afro-Brazilian warrior of the colonial period of Brazil.

Ella Jo Baker, Founding Member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

Born in Virginia (in 1903) and raised in North Carolina, Ella Baker was influential in many of the most significant organizations of the Civil Rights Movement. Starting as a field secretary she rose to the position of Director of Branches of the NAACP in the mid-1940’s, the highest position held by a woman. In 1955, inspired by the Montgomery Bus Boycott, she co-founded the organization In Friendship to fight against Jim Crow Laws in the deep South. In 1957 she helped organize Dr. King’s new Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) as Executive Secretary.

Inspired by the Black college student sit-ins at the Woolworth’s counter in Greensboro, NC, she left the SCLC in 1960 to co-found SNCC. Baker recognized that “the young people were the hope of any movement. They were the people who kept the spirit going.” (snccdigital.org) Bakers true talent was in assisting people to empower themselves. Through SNCC she encouraged young activists to drive grassroots change from the bottom up, using sit-ins and nonviolent anti-segregation protests, voter registration movements and more, during the Civil Rights Movement.

Her core belief may also contribute to why history overlooks her. For her, organizing people meant that they could lead themselves. “The major job was getting people to understand that they had something within their power that they could use, and it could only be used if they understood what was happening and how group action could counter violence…” (ellabakercenter.org)

Dandara: Warrior Queen of Brazil’s Colonial Period

Brazilians observe Mês Da Consciência Negra (Black Consciousness Month) in November and join the world in celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8, 2022.

A hero identified with both of those honors is Dandara, revered as a heroine of the Black resistance in colonial Brazil. Dandara was the wife of Zumbi dos Palmares, the last king of Quilombo dos Palmares. Palmares was a community of escaped slaves of Indigenous, African and Brazilian nationalities in the Northeast of Brazil. First developed in 1605, this “quilombo” (settlement, in Portuguese) thrived as a utopian community, growing to tens of thousands. Surviving decades of assault by Dutch settlers, owners of sugar cane plantations, Portuguese soldiers finally overtook it in 1694. Dandara committed suicide rather than being subjected to a return to slavery.

Dandara is said to have been a fierce capoeira (a Brazilian martial arts and dance form) warrior and general who led men and women into battle. She is a recognized icon of the struggle against racism and resistance against slavery in Brazil.

While official history books may have overlooked Dandara’s story, she finally has the perfect route to remaining relevant to young people today. A video game, Dandara, was released on February 6, 2018 (the anniversary of Dandara’s arrest and suicide) on the Nintendo Switch. A Brazilian developer created the game, inspired by Dandara’s life. IMDB describes the game this way: “The citizens, once free spirits, now stand oppressed and isolated. But not all is lost, for out of this aether of fear arises a heroine, a ray of hope. Her name is Dandara.” (IMDB)

Dandara lived, fought and died for the right to be free. Ella Baker inspired young people to be leaders and take action to change the world. Both are powerful Black women who are remembered for their work to make the world a better and more equitable place for all.