Inthepowerful,vibrantbiographyGameofFreedom,award-winningcreatorDuncanTonatiuhshedslightonthelegacyofalegendarycapoeiraplayer,MestreBimba,whoresistedracialoppressionthroughartandturnedamarginalizedpracticeintoaglobalphenomenon.Ameialuawhooshedintheair.Thestrikewasevadedandfollowedwithana繳.Twoyoungmenwereplayingcapoeirainthemiddleoftheroda.Bimbawantedtoplaytoo.Althoughitisdebatedwhenandwherecapoeira--anartformthatblendsmartialarts,dance,acrobatics,music,andspirituality--originatedexactly,onethingiscertain:intheearly20thcentury,Brazilwastheonlycountryintheworldwherecapoeirawasplayed,anditwasmainlypracticedbypeopleofAfricandescent.In1890,twoyearsafterBrazilofficiallyabolishedslavery,thegamewasoutlawed.Wealthy,lighter-skinnedsocietyfearedandlookeddownoncapoeira,seeingitasagameformalandros--whatpeopleinpowercalledthepoorBlackcommunitiestheydisdained.Butintheearly1920sinthecityofSalvador,amancalledBimbaadvocatedforcapoeira,andthosewhopracticedit,demandingtheybetreatedwithdignityandrespect.DuncanTonatiuh’slyricalproseandbelovedfull-colorillustrations,inspiredbypre-Columbiancodices,tellthestoryofarguablythegreatestcapoeiristaofalltime,whofoughttoturnamisunderstood,persecutedAfro-Brazilianactivityintoacelebratedartpracticedbymillionsaroundtheworld.In2014,theUnitedNationsEducational,ScientificandCulturalOrganization(UNESCO)namedcapoeiraanIntangibleCulturalHeritageofHumanity,adistinctionawardedbecauseofthegame’spromotionofsocialintegrationandthememoryitholdsofthestruggleagainsthistoricaloppression.Fromanaward-winningauthor-illustrator,GameofFreedomisastirringcelebrationofsolidarityandresistancethroughart.
