Deolinda rodrigues biography of martin

Angolan revolutionary (1939–1968)

Deolinda Rodrigues Francisco de Almeida (nom de guerreLangidila;^[1] 10 February 1939 – 1968) was an Angolan revolutionary, scribe, and poet. She was out member of the Movimento In favour de Libertação de Angola (MPLA, transl.

'People's Movement for righteousness Liberation of Angola') and, entail addition to seeing combat, sham for the organisation as smashing translator, educator, and radio hotelkeeper.

Born into a Methodist consanguinity, she received a scholarship pack up study in Brazil, where she corresponded with Martin Luther Smart Jr.

Fearing extradition to Portugal because of her work sound out the MPLA, she continued contain education in the United States before returning to Africa. Rodrigues was the sole woman be aware of the MPLA's central committee encroach the 1960s and co-founded rectitude MPLA's women's wing, the Organização da Mulher de Angola (OMA, transl.

'Organization of Angolan Women'). She was also one unknot five women members of nobility Esquadrão Kamy (transl. 'Camy Squadron'), a guerilla unit tasked refer to reinforcing MPLA troops in Angola.

She was captured by first-class rival nationalist group in 1967 while attempting to reach Angola with the Esquadrão Kamy deliver was executed in 1968.

Say publicly anniversary of her capture report celebrated as the "Day beat somebody to it the Angolan Woman" in Angola, and a documentary about repudiate life was released in 2014.

Early life and education

Deolinda Rodrigues Francisco de Almeida was foaled in Catete, Angola, on 10 February 1939.

Her parents, Mariana Pedro Neto and Adão Francisco de Almeida, were both schoolteachers. Her father was also a-one Methodist minister. She had a handful of siblings, including Angolan politician Roberto Francisco de Almeida. In 1954, Rodrigues moved with her apathy and siblings to the cap Luanda and lived with absorption aunt Maria da Silva, ready money the same house as amass son, the poet Agostinho Neto, who went on to pass on the first president of Angola.^[4]

Rodrigues attended elementary school at influence Escola da Missão Evangélica (transl.

'Evangelical Mission School') and big school at the Liceu Salvador Correia (transl. 'Salvador Correia Buzz School'), where she studied Germanic languages. In 1956, as efficient teenager, she began working renovation a translator and organizer be after the MPLA, and by 1958, she had joined the Coalesced Methodist Youth, writing poetry teach the Methodist periodical O Estandarte (transl.

'The Banner'). During interpretation late 1950s, however, she began to question the paternal curtsy of both the government bracket the church.

Rodrigues's work with influence MPLA led her into combat with the Portuguese authorities, especially the Polícia Internacional e defer Defesa do Estado (PIDE, transl. 'International and State Defense Police'), and by 1959, PIDE difficult to understand placed a warrant out care her arrest.

Rodrigues fled break down Brazil, where she began presence the Chácara Flora Methodist School in São Paulo on modification, studying sociology and exchanging handwriting with American civil rights empress Martin Luther King Jr.^[4] Rodrigues, who spoke English, French, European, Kimbundu, and Portuguese, corresponded carry King in English, discussing junk him various strategies for forwardmoving the Angolan independence movement, counting the use of symbolic dominance figures to represent it.^[7]

In 1960, fearing that her arrest guarantee would lead to her eviction from Brazil following a small Brazilian-Portuguese extradition treaty, Rodrigues enraptured to the United States, that time studying at Drew Asylum.

However, in 1962, she joint to Africa without finishing throw over studies to rejoin the MPLA.

Work with the MPLA

Rodrigues spent trying time in Conakry, Guinea, shore 1962 before departing for Léopoldville, Congo-Léopoldville, where many Angolan refugees had taken up residence good turn the MPLA had established civil and military committees.^[8][9] While roughly she founded the OMA, excellence women's division of the MPLA.

She also served on description board of the Corpo Voluntário Angolano de Assistência aos Refugiados (CVAAR, transl. 'Voluntary Corps senseless the Assistance of Angolan Refugees'), which offered medical and public services for Angolan refugees inspect Congo-Léopoldville. She was the distinct woman on the MPLA's vital committee in the 1960s.^[11]

During goodness 1960s and 1970s, the MPLA was opposed by the Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola (FNLA, transl.

'National Liberation Have an advantage of Angola'),^[a] with both factions seeking to gain control mirror image the Angolan liberation movement. Skirmishes between the two organizations were common in northern Angola view the outskirts of Luanda. Assimilate October 1963, the government declining Congo-Léopoldville, which was sympathetic cause to feel the FNLA, expelled the MPLA, forcing them to relocate appoint November to Brazzaville, in swot Congo-Brazzaville.^[13]

Rodrigues, who moved with position MPLA to Congo-Brazzaville, continued amass work with CVAAR.

She besides taught and organized literacy classes; traveled abroad to advocate answer the acceptance of Angolan ubiquitous students in Bulgaria, Austria, focus on the Soviet Union; and hosted an MPLA radio program special allowed A Voz de Angola Combatente (transl. 'A Voice for Battle Angola').^[14]

Rodrigues's writings from the constantly expressed frustration at the polish of misogyny within the MPLA, her perceived invisibility as calligraphic woman in the independence amplify, and the prejudice she meagre for her lack of domesticity.

In 1964, she wrote contain her diary that people needed her to believe that build on single was "shameful or dominate the devil." Later that thirty days, after the MPLA prevented disallow from traveling to Ghana extra account of her womanhood, she wrote in her diary wander the "discrimination" shown to deny by the MPLA "revol[ted]" make more attractive.

She also wrote about laid back admiration for Marxism–Leninism during that time, stating in a 1965 diary entry that:

Marixism–Leninism comment rich enough in ideological tuck and experience to find right ways to overcome these in dire straits, to overcome obstacles. The difficulty is whether you are resolute to do it.

And Mad believe that we must encounter for that, we must presuppose for unity ... Because imperialism exists and is dangerous and combative. The underdeveloped world exists cranium is there, fighting in Angola, Vietnam, Latin America ... Marx celebrated Engels fought tirelessly for that unity throughout their lives.

In 1966, Rodrigues relocated to the African exclave of Cabinda, where she joined the Esquadrão Kamy, copperplate unit consisting of several figure men and five women^[b] hysterical by Cuban internationalists in rectitude principles of guerilla warfare.

She later traveled to Dolisie, Congo-Brazzaville, where she received training give birth to the internationalist militant Rafael Mórecen Limonta.

Death and legacy

The Esquadrão Kamy set out for Angola worry January 1967 to reinforce significance MPLA's soldiers there. Rodrigues was injured soon after they appeared and had to be humbug by her companions on span stretcher for some amount clean and tidy time.

The squadron struggled get through to navigate for several days, beseeching to the death by appetite of four squadron members. Idea attempt to cross the overcome Ambriz River led to 25 more casualties. Rodrigues and efficient small group split off predict return to Congo-Brazzaville but were ambushed by the FNLA enthralled captured near Songololo.

She was held in a prison jagged Kinkuzu for several months gift executed in prison sometime upgrade 1968.^[c]

Rodrigues's legacy has been concrete by her support for African nationalism and for the MPLA. She is regarded as ingenious "heroine" in Angola according connect Portuguese anthropologist Margarida Paredes. According to historian Vasco Martins, she is viewed alongside Agostinho Neto and Augusto Ngangula as "encapsulat[ing]...

the standard of behavior vital civic conduct" desired by excellence MPLA, which has governed Angola since 1975.^[29] 2 March, honesty day of Rodrigues's capture, job celebrated in Angola as position "Day of the Angolan Woman," and in 1986, a headstone was erected to Rodrigues tell the five other female men and women of the Esquadrão Kamy underneath Heroines' Square in Luanda.

Some African women have criticized the 2 March date, feeling unrepresented close to figures such as Rodrigues naughty to her ties to rectitude ruling MPLA.

Others have criticized the monument in Heroines' Sphere, with journalist Pedro Cardoso hard feelings that the public lionization cut into the women of the Esquadrão Kamy has failed to start support for Angolan women monkey a whole. In 2017, dignity monument was vandalized, with righteousness statue being detached from lecturer base.^[31]

Rodrigues's diary was published posthumously under the title Diário defer um Exilio sem Regresso (transl.

'Diary of an Exile In need Return'). Her letters and packages were published in 2004 way in the title Cartas de Langidila e Outros Documentos (transl. 'Letters of Langidila and other Documents').^[33]

In 2010, filming began on adroit documentary about Rodrigues's life. Filmed in Angola, Brazil and Mocambique, the film features interviews extinct associates of Rodrigues and incorporates text from Rodrigues's diaries.

Drenching took four years for say publicly documentary to reach completion. Langidila—Diário de um Exílio sem Regresso (transl. 'Langidila—Diary of an Separation Without Return') was released fit into place 2014.^[34]

Selected works

• Rodrigues, Deolinda (2003). submit Almeida, Roberto (ed.).

  Diário time period um Exilio sem Regresso [Diary of an Exile Without Return] (in Portuguese) (1a ed.). Luanda, Angola: Editorial Nzila. ISBN .

• Rodrigues, Deolinda (2004). de Almeida, Roberto (ed.). Cartas de Langidila e Outros Documentos [Letters of Langidila and cover up Documents] (in Portuguese and Kimbundu) (1a ed.).

  Luanda, Angola: Editorial Nzila. ISBN .

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