Wonder Woman of the Week: Dandara dos Palmares

Dandara dos Palmares was a 17th-century Afro-Brazilian warrior and freedom fighter who played a vital role in resisting slavery in colonial Brazil. She is most widely remembered for her leadership in Palmares, a vast community of escaped enslaved Africans, known as a quilombo, located in the northeastern region of the country. Born into slavery, Dandara escaped and joined Palmares, where she became both a skilled warrior and a central figure in defending the community. Alongside her husband, Zumbi dos Palmares, she helped organize resistance against Portuguese forces and slave catchers who sought to destroy the settlement and re-enslave its residents.

Her contributions went beyond the battlefield. Dandara was deeply involved in the social and economic life of Palmares, helping cultivate crops and sustain the community’s independence. She is described as having been trained in capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art that blended combat techniques with dance, which she used as both a form of resistance and cultural preservation. Unlike many women of her time, Dandara actively fought alongside men, commanding troops and making strategic decisions to defend Palmares from repeated invasions. Her leadership symbolized not only a fight for survival but also the vision of an autonomous Black society free from the brutality of enslavement.

Tragically, Dandara’s life ended in 1694, during the final Portuguese assault on Palmares. Rather than submit to capture and return to slavery, she chose to take her own life, embodying the uncompromising spirit of freedom that defined her struggle. Today, Dandara is remembered as a symbol of Black resistance, female leadership, and resilience in the face of oppression. Her story continues to inspire movements for racial justice and gender equality in Brazil and beyond, affirming her place as one of the most important heroines in the history of the African diaspora.