COMING IN 2024!

“I Was Born in the Forest” embodies the struggle for liberty by Africans who were transported to the Americas aboard slave ships, hailing from regions like Congo, Angola, and other parts of Central Africa. Despite the daunting odds and the oppressive systems of Holland and Portugal during the seventeenth century, the resilient spirit of these captured individuals led to a triumphant fight against enslavement. Their escape from captivity resulted in the establishment of Afrocentric communities nestled within the rugged landscapes of Brazil’s mountains. These visionary African leaders aspired to forge a sovereign black nation within the Americas. Notably, Palmares, a prominent among them, thrived from 1605 to 1694.

Palmares left an indelible mark, serving as a precursor to the foundation of black settlements throughout the Americas. Zumbi, the captivating figure akin to Black Spartacus, rightfully claims a position among the pantheon of esteemed African-descended leaders, a group that includes luminaries like Martin Luther King, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, Medgar Wiley Evers, Kwame Nkrumah, Francois Dominique Toussaint Louverture, and numerous others.

Palmares and Zumbi have transcended time to become symbols of hope, endurance, and the unwavering resolve to overcome, not only for those of African descent but also for all subjugated peoples striving for unbridled freedom, showing an unyielding determination to bear any cost for its attainment. Despite arriving in a foreign and hostile land without possessions, these Africans managed to establish a lasting Black Republic in colonial Brazil.