Dom Obá II D'África

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Dom ObÁ II D'África

c. 1845
July 8, 1890

The popular Afro-Brazilian leader Dom Obá II D'África was born Cândido da Fonseca Galvão, in Lençóis, in the interior of the then province of Bahia. Dom Obá was the son of a freed African slave. He was also an African prince, thought to be the grandson of Aláàfin Abiodun, the founder of the Yoruba Empire.

A warrior prince, Dom Obá was a volunteer with the Brazilian forces in the Paraguayan War (1865–1870). In recognition of his bravery, he was made an honorary officer in the army. After being demobilized, Dom Obá settled in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian capital, where he fought for the rights of the poor and for the abolition of slavery.

To the white elite, Dom Obá was considered a "halfcrazed" figure whom the Brazilian emperor, Dom Pedro II, was misguided enough to receive at the palace. To Rio's slaves and people of color, however, he was revered as a true African sovereign. His followers paid him a tithe, they would fall to their knees before him, and they gathered in public places to listen to his articles, which were published in the popular press, being read aloud.

Having an alternative view of the Brazilian society and its historical process, Dom Obá was, at least in theory, a monarchist standing above all political parties. He was, in his own words, "a conservative to conserve what is good," as well as "a liberal to repress the murders that have taken place in the current time on the orders of certain potentates" (Dom Obá II D'África, 1885, p. 5).

The struggle against racism was a crucial element in the thought and political practice of Dom Obá. He believed that "it is right that Brazil should give up the question of colour, because the real question is value and when a man has value one should not look at what colour he is" (Dom Obá II D'África, 1887, p. 4). In his articles, the prince spoke on behalf of "the Blacks and Pardos" (people of mixed race). He also came out with apparently original formulations, arriving at an aesthetic perception remarkably similar to the "black is beautiful" approach developed in the United States in the 1960s. Dom Obá encouraged his followers to feel that black was not only beautiful, but "superior to the finest diamonds."