My first memory of Capoeira is standing at the edge of a circle, holding my mother’s hand. I could hear the berimbau before I understood what it was. There were claps, drums, voices and people moving in ways I had never seen before. Two players entered the Roda, the circle where Capoeira is played, swaying, spinning and avoiding each other’s movements with a rhythm that looked almost like dancing. As a child, I thought it was simply beautiful. Later, I learned that Capoeira carried a much deeper history. Developed by enslaved Africans in Brazil, it was a way of preserving culture, building community and practising self-defence under conditions where freedom was denied.

Its movements, songs and instruments have carried memories that could not always be written down or spoken openly. Growing up in Europe, I often felt that Black history was presented as something distant, limited to slavery, racial segregation, colonialism or racism. I rarely learned about creativity, resistance, joy or the ways Black communities protected their identity across generations. Capoeira gave me another perspective, showed me that Black arts and cultural heritage are not only shaped by racial oppression, but by the Black experience, intelligence, resilience, resistance, movement, music, life stories, and collective strength. Over time, the Roda became more than a training space. It became a place where I could be present without having to explain myself.

I learned discipline, trust and respect for others. I learned that strength is not always about standing still nor fighting directly. Often so, it is about moving, adapting, finding another way forward. Capoeira also helped me understand why a community matters; nobody creates the Roda alone. The music, the clapping, the singing support people inside the circle. Each person has a role; it exists because everyone contributes. For me, Capoeira became a reminder that identity can be reclaimed through body-words. It is a living connection to history, but also a source of confidence, pride and belonging in the present.