In the darkness of the night, they bathed their naked bodies before drenching the land with their bathwater.

This was a very specific form of spiritual warfare,

one only a chosen few women could perform.

This is two-minute black history.

What you didn't learn in school.

The Abigy women of Kota Labor were known for their mighty power.

Fierce warriors, spiritual practitioners, and leaders within their community, these women

commanded respect. But they weren't born with this power.

They received it after a very specific rite of passage.

The Abigie women's most revered were elders who had gone through menopause. Minstuation was seen as something to be done privately away from community. Once menopausal,

at Beijian women could lead battles or initiation rights. Post-menopausal, it was believed women's powers were and to the spirit world. Exercising their female genital power became a form of

spiritual resistance known as at Beaky. During a Beggy, post-Men and Pozal women would pound the ground and dance to rid the land of bad spirits and wrongdoers.

Then they would bathe their genitals and use this water to bless the land from evil until rights of passage ceremonies were completed.

Anti-Blackness has shamed menopause, pushing the narrative that women past childbearing age are no longer desirable or useful to society.

This is directly tied to women and especially black women being defined as

sexual and reproductive objects throughout history.

Our bodies are powerful and worthy of love at all stages. Like the Abigie women that celebrate them knowing we embody

ancestral wisdom. In order to move towards the future you've got to look to the

past. This has been two minute black history, a

podcast by Push Black. If you enjoyed this episode and want to show your support,

please rate and subscribe to our podcast. Together, let's celebrate and honor

the legacy of Black History.

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