The Queens of Benin

All the men are gone. All men are stolen away. Only women left in the nation of Benin in Africa. Can you believe it? Can you fathom it? The men were our protection, they were our warriors. They were our brothers. They were our fathers. They were our sons. They were our friends. They were our husbands. .They were our cousins. They were our uncles. They were our grandfathers. They were our hope. Now there is no hope for Benin. Nothing but women left. Women in chains everywhere. And they have us working the field and we're doing it. But it was much easier with the men. It was much easier with our brothers. Never did we have to gather food alone. Never did we walk alone. Never did we carry heavy buckets to our villages. But there's something the colonists never knew. Each day we grow stronger and stronger. Each day we fight harder and harder. Each day we think deeper and deeper. Ah yeah we want that freedom. That freedom that our ancestors gave to us. That freedom of our own land. That freedom we never knew until now. And each day they teach us something new. We're learning how to farm. We are learning how to survive. We are learning about the world. We are learning how to make clothing. It has been years since we were devastasted never seen a man, never been held by one gently, never been so yearning. Yet we hope. We learned to lean on eachother. We learned to fight besides eachother. We're becoming friends. We are checking on each other. We are gathering. We are knowing more and more. We are not alone anymore. We are one. And our new masters don't know our ways entirely. They don't know how smart we become. They only know we are workers and not like them. They underestimate us day by day. As the years press on, we are given more freedom yet a stern hand. We can gather but we must do so around work hours. We can sing but we must sing their way. We can smile but we must smile within. 11 years of slavery, 11 years of toil, 11 years of strength, 11 years we will get back our revenge. I am Baku, I was just a ten year old girl before my father left but now I am a woman. I am a warrior. And today we lead a revolt. Its been too long of harsh labor. Its been too long of lies and deceit. I know as much as my master. They think I am too stupid to lead. They think I am too poor minded, less willed but I am taking my revenge with my sisters who were wipe for speaking out tonight as soon as I leave the master's house for the hut. I see the stars are wide tonight. I see the moon is bright tonight. I see the field are plenteous. I see the fire has eased. It is time to start the light. Sisters, sisters let's gather today. I am calling sisters sisters let's take our land. Sisters let break this chain. Sisters sisters we have the power. You see we learned to see at night and we learned how to carry weapons. We learned how to use swords and axes. It is our time. Everyone grab their weapon and take the horses. And so the women of Benin fought with resistance the colonists in Benin raging all night for days. The colonists were unprepared and starting moving and retreating towards the ships. And those who tried to keep their land died on their land. The women of Benin fought their oppressors. They killed most of the colonists and they did not cease to stop on their attack. The colonists cried for back up but the women of Benin raged on and they won. The rest of the colonists escaped and fled. Benin was the only freed country from oppression during the colonization of Africa. The Women of Benin proved there's nothing a man cannot do that a woman cannot do. They conquer a civilization and made their freedom. They became the leaders of their destiny. They empower themselves to learn everything until they were freed.