Sebastián Lemba

port of harlem gambian education partnership

Sebastián Lemba (II of II)
Liberator and National Hero
(circa 1500 – circa 1547)
Dominican Republic

When Sebastián Lemba was a young man in southern Africa, slave traders captured him around 1525. His owner took him to France and Spain and eventually to Hispaniola, an island now shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Lemba and other enslaved Africans rose up against the Spanish colony around 1532.

The rebels eventually escaped to the mountainous interior of the island and for several years fought against the Spanish. Other freedom seeking enslaved Africans joined their group. Ultimately, on September 25, 1547, Lemba was captured. Today, Dominicans revere Lemba as a national hero, and a statue of him stands outside of the Museo del Hombre Dominicano (Museum of the Dominican People) in the capital city, Santo Domingo.

“No one knows what Sabastian Lemba looks like, but we know his legacy. So, I tried to place myself in his shoes and thought about what he would have done. In the process of imaging scenarios, I included my own image using pastel on paper; after all, the closest thing to this historic, brave Black man is another Black man. With an image of Lemba in mind, I continued to immerse myself into his legacy. And, then imagined while he was out slaughtering those who had mistreated him, some of the other enslaved people were storming a house and expressing their transgenerational grievances.”

- Artist Carlos Walker

Like Us On

See Us On

Send Us an Email

Our Business Sponsor

This Way to More of "From These Shores"