A Tribute to All Ebony Flowers

On this May 1st, International Workers’ Day, I offer my tribute to the hands that have never stopped building, caring, and resisting: the hands of Black women. I was born and raised in Portugal. I’m the daughter of Angolan parents, and I recognize in myself — and in so many of us — the strength and determination inherited through generations who have worked, and continue to work, to earn the recognition we deserve.

Unfortunately, this European soil still does not see us in our entirety. The rise of far-right movements across Europe threatens and even reduces our presence, pushing many Black women to the margins or even out of a space that is rightfully ours too.

The Black woman remains the backbone of her family and a tireless worker, even when her worth is silenced, even when she must — almost as a rule — constantly prove she is capable and deserving of being where she is.

Today, we celebrate more than just the right to work. We celebrate our persistence in existing with dignity, intelligence, and beauty — even when the system tries to erase us.

For every step we have taken and will continue to take, for every space we have occupied and will continue to occupy, for every struggle we have faced and will continue to face, and for every attempt to silence us, we are doing one thing: rewriting our history. And that, too, is work — daily, invisible, and deeply revolutionary work.

On this May 1st, let us lift our heads high. Because being a Black woman and a worker means carrying the world on your back — and still finding a way to dance with it.