For Women’s Month, Scrolla.Africa is shining a light on seven African queens whose power, beauty and influence shaped our history. Thabiso Sekhula introduces the series with a love letter to African women.
In a world dominated by men, we women have long had to dim our light to escape harm.
We have become master magicians to hide our light so we don’t attract the wrong crowds.
Finally, it feels so good to see women coming out of the darkness to take the lead in defining who they are.
Not under colonial restrictions and not under a patriarchal lens. We see global musicians such as Beyonce drawing inspiration for their art through depictions of African queens and deities like Osun, the Yoruba goddess of water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality.
We see tribal prints on global runways and hairstyles inspired by the Himba women of Namibia in Hollywood blockbusters.
The dark will no longer suffice, not even for our own protection. History as written by men got us all the way f’d up. But it’s time to reclaim it.
In the last few decades, we’ve had women pulling into previously male-dominated arenas unapologetically themselves in their natural hair, loud talking, results showing and child bearing, ruffling feathers and obliterating milestones for womankind while looking fabulous.
So Happy Women’s Day, Queens. I just wanted to send you this love letter, to say you are seen and you are not alone.
The memo is, we are coming for everything and we are lifting one another as we climb up.
The daughters of Africa are drawing power from the great queens of the past, such as the Modjadji rain queens of Limpopo who brought rains and abundance to the Balobedu kingdom.
We are following in the footsteps of Queen Moremi of the Ife Kingdom of Nigeria to lead our people to greater heights.
And although we still have a lot of hurdles in our way, we channel the strength of Queen Nandi of the Zulu nation and Kandake, the empress of Ethiopia, to fight every obstacle with strategy and grace.
And we are securing the bag like Queen Nefertiti of Egypt because when a woman secures even a little bit of wealth, the rest of the world is better for it.
Women have made significant contributions throughout history to ensure the mass awakening of other women – even though they were once branded witches for it.
Over the next seven days, Scrolla.Africa will bring you a series of African Queens who have shaped the past and present of every man and woman in Africa and beyond.
These are queens whose immense roles in history have been underestimated for too long.
The emancipation of women – financially, physically and mentally – is bigger than me, bigger than us and so despite the abuses we face, not even the systems intended to keep us down can tame what is meant to be.
We are coming for our seats at the table and bringing our sisters with us – we have the great queens behind us.
Join me as we introduce you to the queens who have shaped Africa!
Image source: World History Encyclopedia
